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Light or Dark In The Bedroom?

There's so much to be said for a great night's sleep. You know, when you wake up rested and raring to go? As part of my research for Lagom, The Swedish Art Of Living a Balanced, Happy Life,  I interviewed a Swedish sleep psychologist who advised that before going to bed you need to prepare yourself both mentally and physically. Great pre-bedtime preparations include banishing screens up to an hour before in favour of reading a book, taking a warm bath, cuddling with family and pets or listening to calm music. Your bedroom environment also plays a key role in maximising shut-eye, with banning screens and completely shutting out natural light as well as creating a clean, calm and comfortable sphere being the key to sleep success! I was reminded of this when I saw the beautiful bedrooms Pella Hedeby styled for IKEA recently. Void of clutter, clean and simple - they are the epitome of calm.  But, I'm curious to know: which look do you prefer: the cool, white and pale grey with subtle tone on tone texture, or the darker, cosy, womb-like feel?

The Light Side








The Dark Side








I'm still so happy with my blushing peach tones, but at a push I'd go for the soothing, lighter tones (like I once had in my bedroom) because I feel it would feel lovely and bright by day (especially when the Swedish winter can get so dark and gloomy!).

How about you?

See the complete product lists for the white and dark bedrooms and read an interview with Pella (in Swedish) here.

Have a lovely afternoon friends!

Niki

Stylist: Pella Hedeby (with support from Anna Lenskog Belfrage)
Photography: Ragnar Omarsson
IKEA Livet Hemma

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The calm, natural kitchen

I was getting a little tired of being at home this week so I've re-located to a little cafĂ© by the sea. They do a great porridge (have you heard of Grod in Copenhagen which only serves porridge? - I must pop over the bridge and pay them a visit!). Admittedly it was also to escape my kitchen which is in desperate need of a make-over.  This is why I was delighted to discover Holly Marder's inspiring new kitchen. As we know from her beautiful bedroom and studio, Holly has an entirely unique signature style, with a penchant for warm, earthy tones and natural textures. In other words, everything she touches literally turns to gold! Holly's make-over is a lesson in combining beautiful craftsmanship and maximising use of space for a truly functional, yet calm kitchen.










 


Photography and design: Holly Marder / Avenue Lifestyle. 

What a fabulous space?! I love that it has a slight mid-century vibe - and everything looks so calm

I couldn't imagine getting heated over anything here could you?  I'm thinking back to Saturday when I tried to make a chocolate meringue cake, in Swedish, with three young kids - let's just say I'll be sticking to cupcakes for a while! Or perhaps arts and crafts (hey, I know my strengths!).

Get the look from Holly's lovely kitchen: custom oak door fronts by Koak Design, walnut pulls and knobs by Ware Design Works, wooden pendant light, brass kitchen rails, wall lamp.  'My chair' by Normann, the beautiful Hubsch table, linen placemats, napkins and basket by Artha

You can see the full write up and more info about the products over at Avenue Lifestyle.

Looking for more kitchen inspiration today? You can always check out my kitchen archive and Pinterest board for mountains of inspiration! See you there...

Have a lovely day! 

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Duvet Day In This Cosy 'Forever Autumn' Bedroom?


The walls in my bedroom were white for years (take a peek here) and it always felt so fresh and light. But it's only when I painted the back wall in a 'blushing peach' hue that I realised the power of colour - and how much more cosy a room feels with slightly darker, warm tones (I'm sure you've seen it, but just in case, there's a tour of it here). It's funny how that can happen don't you think? Yesterday I came across a tour of this beautiful bedroom belonging to Jeska Herne of Lobster & Swan and it reminds me so much of the colour in my bedroom - except she's gone all out. All four walls and the radiator have been painted in Warm Mud Brown by Cassandra Ellis. The result is a bedroom with a calm yet inviting 'forever autumn' feel and a warm, relaxed vibe.

Oh my word - while searching this picture for details to write about I spotted my very own book 'The Scandinavian Home' - what an honour! Thank you Jeska!

The pair are a big fan of antiques and many of the pieces have been collected on their travels to places like India. They also like to shop for fair-trade antiques at Ian Snow.


When it comes to DIY, Jeska and Dean are on a whole other level (their garden retreat which they created on a shoe-string budget is a fine example of this!). Dean made the bedside shelves in this room and Jeska pieced the lights together with various items collected over time. You can find similar pretty vintage lights like this on Etsy* (I particularly love this hand cut glass lamp*  and art deco vintage lamp* but you'd need to be super quick, there's only one of each!).


Sheer lace curtains (source similar here*) slip in a soft pool of filtered light giving a calm feel to the space and glass cabinets provide a place to store magazines and bed linen while keeping them dust free. 



Layers of linen complete the relaxed feel of the space (I love the look of this linen bedding*!). The picture above the bed is vintage. 



It seems like Jeska and Dean's cat Marlo looks totally at home in their new bedroom - and who can blame him?

Is it me or have feline friends been stealing the show in home tours lately? Just look at yesterday's home and Audrey Rivet's lovely apartment!

Are you a cat person? I grew up with rescue cats and my husband and I used to have a cat called Fredrik-Bo. He was a real character - he used to go to the local cafe and eat muffins. He was really charming when he wanted to be (namely when he wanted a muffin!) but was also massively vicious, to the extent that we had to run passed him when he wasn't looking for fear of being attacked!! Needless to say, my husband has vetoed ever getting a cat again. Bah! I miss them purring away while curled up on my lap and climbing over my keyboard as I type!

Back to this bedroom though - could you imagine spending a duvet day here? There's something so calm about it and it makes me feel really nostalgic - it reminds me a little of my grandmother's home on the South Coast of England, which was really lovely!

Oh and if you love the look of the Cassandra Ellis paint - Jeska's holding a very exciting give-away to win 10 litres of it on her blog here! Hurrah!

Have a lovely day!

Niki

PS Only three days to go before the launch of my online interior design service - scary Mary! There's only a couple of spaces left for the big discount - thank you so much to everyone who has signed up so far! If you'd like to be one of the first twenty to get help re-designing a room in your home from the My Scandinavian Home Studio team just send me a mail and I'll add you to the list and notify you as soon as it launches!

Photography: Dean Hearne for Lobster & Swan
Affiliate links marked with *

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A Copenhagen Family Home In Soothing Light Tones


Is it just me or was the weekend a case of Friday... blink.... Monday? And then to add to that I had a phone meeting with my bank at 8 am this morning to discuss pensions (remembered, with alarm at 7.50am) - cue double strength coffee!  Across the bridge in Copenhagen Denmark, the Engell family are also easing into the week - although their household appears a whole lot calmer than ours. That could be to do with Sofie Weinrich Engell's pared-back approach to decorating along with the lovely soothing palette (keep an eye out for the subtle nuances, all of which I've linked to) . Even so, there's plenty of space for her adorable children to play! Ready for a calm tour? Step this way!


Their hair! *heart eyes*. 

I'm in love with this kitchen from Invita Aarhus! Removing top cabinets is a huge trend right now, and works beautifully if you have the space for plenty of lower cabinetry. The simple flowerpot pendants* will add a lovely, warm glow after dark too! 

Those pools of light! If this was my home , I'd grab a book and sit right in the corner, how about you?



Sofie's bedroom wall has been given a lick of paint in soothing Lin by Beckers

The sitting room has been painted in Kliphäll and the children's bedroom in Alvdans, both by Beckers. 

Admittedly, Sofie's children totally stole the show in this tour - aren't they adorable? 

But can we also take a moment to think about the wall colours too? If you're over white but still looking for something calm, subtle nuances like this help to add elegance and depth while maintaining a feeling of calm. 

Is there anything that stood out to you about Sofie's Copenhagen home?  

Looking for a little more inspiration today? How about wondering over to the Danish home archive. It's a real goodie - but comes with a word of warning - you might get held up there for hours! 

Wishing you a wonderful start to the week friends! 

Niki

Photography: Sofie Weinrich Engell's - shared with kind permission

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Get The Look From A Serene Family Home in Berlin

Why, hello there! How was your weekend? I'm feeling way to relaxed for a Monday morning. My family and I spent the weekend at a friend's cabin in the woods (can't wait to share a few pictures!) and my hair still smells of bonfire - don't you love that?! The Southern Sweden sun even shone for us - wonder of wonders! I hope you had a great weekend and the sun shone for you too! I always think it's a good idea to start the week as you mean to go on - calm! And boy, do I have a serene home to share with you guys! Fashion, hair and make-up artist Viktoria (AKA @tthese_beautiful_thingss) has decorated her beautiful, old Berlin apartment using soothing, earthy tones and beautiful design pieces to create a haven in which she, her partner and three children can truly switch off and relax. I really wouldn't mind spending the week here - once you've seen the tour, perhaps you'll want to join me! 








Pretty serene, right?! It's the kind of home you could never imagine getting in a mess (bet Viktoria is having a good laugh at this comment - we all know what living with kids is REALLY like!!). Even so, I bet it always feel calm. 

Here's a quick round-up of some of the beautiful items in Viktoria's home:



Get The Look
1. Mantis BS2 Wall Lamp
2. Söderhamn 3 Seater Sofa Cover
3. Knitted Cushion Beige
4. Large Knitted Pouffe
5. Vitra Nuage Vase
6. Aura Table Mirror
7. SERVEit tray table with tray
8. Cooee Design Ollie Sand
9. Table S + L rectangular
10. Gejst NEBL Mega Grey
11. 50X70 Miss Annie Poster
12. KK 4 Fold Soft Rose
13. Rafa Kids TROLLSTIGEN Wallbars
14. EOS Micro Light Brown
15. Georg Jensen Ilse Vase
16. House Doctor Wall Lamp
17. Rafa Kids F&A120 Bed
18. Rosendahl Clock
19. Kizu Table Lamp

I've featured so many Berlin homes in the past - all of which have very different looks! Here are a few of my faves:

The Berlin flat and country home of Our Food Stories
Bohemian touch in a magnificent Berlin apartment
Grey and greige in a wonderful Berlin home

Have a fabulous start to the week friends. Stay calm!

Niki

Photography: Viktoria /@tthese_beautiful_thingss

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