An elegant Malmö home in calming green

Tjoho! As you know, I'm very proud of my home city of Malmö (see my city guide here!) and I always feel a flutter of excitement when a beautiful home pops up in da hood! This 1920's apartment is located in Davidhalls Torg - a lovely square in the centre of town fringed with small independent businesses including an antiques shop, vintage clothes boutique, a barbers and a whole host of cafés and restaurants - with tables and chairs spilling out onto the pavement. And high above you'll find this oasis. Painted in soothing white and green, the owners have used glass cabinets to keep everything on display, yet safely hidden away. Wooden furniture adds warmth while soft linen textiles add a beautiful softness to the space which can only be described as a picture of a calm.

For sale through Bjurfors. 

Ahhhh, so lovely.

The owners have achieved the perfect balance, don't you think?

Did you see it's for sale too? Come and join us!

Get the look from this lovely Malmö apartment: IKEA sells a similar white glass cabinet. Le Sac en papier, This magenta kimono would look pretty against the green wall, white linen table cloth (beautiful!) and pure linen bedding (I love this off-white linen throw / blanket too).

The look and feel of the space reminds me a little of Artilleriet studio and the home of the owners behind the store. Beautiful!

Have a lovely day!

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A Brazilian home to brighten up your day!

It's easy to forget when I look out at the gloomy weather here in Sweden that there are some parts of the world basking in sunshine right now (hello Southern hemisphere friends!). So this post is dedicated to you, and the rest of us will have to squirrel away the alfresco inspiration on our Pinterest boards until Spring! It's the Brazilian home of Lucas Jimeno photographed by Ruben Ortitz for Wish Casa. Stunning space!

Somewhere I would like to live for Wish Casa. Photography Ruben Ortitz with kind permission. 

Imagine that courtyard twinkling with fairy lights and a large wreath on those double doors. I love the black kitchen units and all the linen around the home (used instead of cupboard doors, table cloths, cushions, curtains etc - so beautiful) - I am thinking of using a dove grey linen table cloth for Christmas this year - lovely! 

Anything you love about this home in particular?

More stunning inspiration from this Brazilian beach home and this Brazilian escape. 

If you're hankering after a little Christmas inspiration today check out this home of a Danish clothes designer and this Finnish home all ready for Christmas. Very pretty! 

Have a lovely day!

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Simple yet pretty Christmas / party table ideas

With only a few days to go before the holidays I thought I'd share some beautiful inspiration for creating a rustic Christmas table - or simply a lovely winter party table for friends and family! I love the idea of a natural white or grey linen table cloth or rough wood table decorated with foliage from the garden, with flowers and berries providing the only dash of colour.  I'm taking inspiration from these pretty, yet simple displays.

 

Pictures:
1 + 2:  A Quiet Style in collaboration with West Elm - see more of the lovely shoot here.
3: Hus o Hem - the entire post is full of beautiful inspiration (piled red apples anyone?).
4 + 5 + 6: Table inspiration from Swedish shop Artilleriet (see more here).
7 + 8: Call Me Cupcake - how delicious (and pretty) does that gingerbread cake with cream cheese and cranberry look?

get the look with these stonewashed white and light grey table cloths. 

This holiday I also hope to be tucking into this mouthwatering cake. And perhaps Thomas Kellers Chocolate Souffle. Mmmmm!

What'll be your favourite dish over the holidays?

If you're looking for more inspiration today  - check out 8 beautiful rustic gift wrap ideas? Or maybe pour yourself a coffee (or steaming mug of glögg?!) and take a scroll through the Christmas archive and Christmas / Party Pinterest boards.

Or if you feel like skipping the parties and heading to somewhere beautiful and remote this December, I'm thinking this pretty cabin in the Faroe Islands could do the trick?

Back tomorrow with the final post of the year (so soon?). Have a lovely day!

PS Thank you so much for all your lovely comments and mails about my new book- and for the pre-orders - it really means a lot to me! I hope you'll enjoy it as much as have writing it. I'll be back in the new year with more details! 

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A beautiful, rustic mill on the shores of lake Rinnen, Sweden

I absolutely love this time of year (don't get me wrong - I do get a bit of a winter slump round about January / february time, I promise!) - but as the days get shorter and the leaves turn from yellow to deep red things start to get super cosy. Dark mornings and evenings are transformed under the glow of candlelight. Autumnul pictures of people gathering around a table for a hearty stew or caramelized white chocolate tart start to pop up on my Pinterest feed. And I start to feel hugely inspired by rustic spaces (and hungry!). That's why this beautiful converted mill caught my eye.  After an extensive renovation, the Erlandsson family are embracing their new life in the former flour mill on the shore of lake Rinnen deep in the forest of Värmland, Sweden which includes a beautiful space for year round gatherings. Let's take a peek inside...

Credits: Photography - Carina Olander (shared with kind permission). Styling Anna Truelsen. See the full feature in Hus & Hem 12/201. 

Aaaaaa, just so cosy, don't you think? 

What a perfect room to gather for birthdays, thanksgiving (for you americans and canadians!) and Christmas (in fact I'm pretty sure I could come up with something to celebrate every week of the year, if this were my home, how about you?!). 

We can still create a lovely rustic style at home though - here are a few items I love from the mill : Linen table cloth (or stonewashed linen by the metre), long haired sheepskin throw, chunky knit blanket. I love classic Swedish Skultuna brass candleholders - and have a couple myself - beautiful! Although not featured, this one is lovely too. 

I can imagine the upstairs bedroom looks something like this - can you?! 

Have a cosy day! 

PS  We photographed a few beautiful, rustic homes for my book Modern Pastoral last year and I've been dreaming of a owning a lovely retreat ever since.....one day?!  

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A soothing grey Swedish apartment with a lovely balcony

My childhood home in Southwest London had huge floor to ceiling windows which looked out over woodland. I have to admit I used to peg it through tow woods on my way back from friends houses in the dark! But by day I absolutely loved the green outlook,  and it has totally shaped the environment I feel most happy in today. Even in the heart of the city, I have always tried to live somewhere I can look out and see a touch of greenery (loving this apartment block). (Did your childhood environment have the same impact? My husband grew up by the sea in Helsingborg and can't stand feeling land locked). I think that's what struck me the most about this lovely Swedish apartment - the sitting room opens out onto a balcony with beautiful views over parkland. And even though the outdoor space is small, it would perfectly serve as an antidote to the stresses and strains of daily life (and most importantly a spot for that all important Friday night drink!). The rest of the apartment has been decorate in soothing shades of grey, made cosy by contrasting textures. Lovely!

This apartment was found via Planete Deco with thanks. Can anyone provide the credits so I can update the post?

Fancy joining me for a drink on that balcony?!

Get the look: sitting room - zig-zag cushion (I also love this and this one!), brass table lamp by House Doctor, linen table cloth. Balcony - sheepskin throw, Askholmen table by IKEA (perfect little table for small balconies).

Weekend link love:

These copper plant stands are such a great DIY idea! Love the pink sofa too.

Art in the bathroom - do or don't?

The world's most beautiful tile floors.

Ice sticks to go with the aforementioned Friday night drink!

That's Saturday's lunch sorted - Mmmm!

Have you seen the latest Lodestars Anthology (an independent magazine-meets-journal for curious travellers who long to be inspired, see the world and meet interesting characters along the road)? It's all about Sweden, which is so exciting!

I'm still dreaming of my summer holiday after yesterday's post (oh and for those asking, I finally found a pic of Ernesto! How cute?!).

Speaking of which, if you could choose, would you go for this type of holiday, or this?!

Have a wonderful weekend and see you Monday!

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A beautiful Gotland home in shades of soothing grey

A post in the midst of the Swedish summer calls for a tour of a house tour in the Swedish holiday heartland - the beautiful island of Gotland! Owner Sofie Nordenberger (founder of fab online shop Oh Living) and her family live in a limestone house with 1 metre thick walls (that's insulation for you!) in the western part of the island. The interior has been beautifully, yet simply decorated in calming shades of grey and soft textiles - creating a soothing yet relaxed vibe. Let's take a tour....

Source - Carina Olander (shared with kind permission), Anna Truelsen. Vakre Hjem 5/2016.

What a house?! And that garden? I need to speak to the man about Gotland....good transport links these days I hear....!

Get the look from Sofie's lovely home: hall / sitting room - soft grey blanket, Charocal linen by the metre, source a similar industrial pendant here. Dining - Artek stools. Bedroom - Lamino armchair, chunky knit blanket. Children's bedroom - Miffy lamp.

Check out this post to find out how I achieved a similar look and feel on my walls...

I love the way this home has been photographed by Carina and Anna! Previous tours the duo has captured include - a rustic Norwegian cabin, the home of a collector, and an idyllic Swedish country home. I'm not sure how they always manage to find such lovely homes?!

You can take a peek inside Anna's own home here (beautiful - as predicted!).

We're on an island ourselves right now in the Gothenburg archipelagos - one of my favourite places in the world! Have you ever been? If not... make these islands top of your list for next summer!

Have a lovely day and see you Friday!

PS Don't forget to enter  my instagram give-away to win a pure linen table cloth and napkins in fresh, summery white!

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A Swedish apartment in soft white and grey hues

When you move house, do you look for something in need of a large-scale renovation, a space that simply needs a lick of paint, or a property completely finished and ready to go?! I've only moved home a couple of times, but each time I've looked for something in between - I guess I'm realistic about my decision making skills (or lack of!) although, as you know, I like to dabble and put my own touch on things!  Sometimes though, wouldn't it be lovely to just move in somewhere that's picture perfect? Take this Gothenburg apartment for example.  The space was recently sold by Swedish interior consultant Linnéa who lovingly restored it down to the last detail - adding soft grey hues to the walls, buffing up the beautiful original flooring and adding just the right amount of furniture to make the living space practical and relaxing. I think I could move right in, how about you?!

Photography: Linnéa / Cream and Navy

Doesn't it look so unbelievably calm?!


Get the look: Söderhamn sofa, this chunky knit blanket is similar, macrame plant hanger, white linen table cloth,

You can see more pictures of Linnéa's apartment and latest projects over on Instagram.

I can't wait to see what she does next!

Happy Tuesday!
 

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