Home Tour: How to Add Colour, The Danish Way!

It's fun to see more colour in homes right now (even in Scandinavia!). But this doesn't come without its perils - for colour-shy people like myself, adding even the most subtle of hues can be a daunting prospect - and I've even spoken to interior designers who say the same! If done right however, colour can breathe life into a space and yet still feel calm.  This vibrant 1940's Danish apartment is a fine example of this. Located in Frederiksberg, a leafy area of Copenhagen, the home belongs to Sofie Amalie who works at a design agency as a service designer and runs the instagram @thusthefuss and her boyfriend Niels. Sofie Amalie has always been passionate about colourful interiors and thrift shopping, and this shines through in their lovely home. I caught up with Sofie Amalie to find out more about the subtle injections of blues, yellows and pinks - as well as their collection of contemporary art.

 Louis Poulsen Enigma 425 Pendant Light, Arne Jacobsen Rosewood Coffee Table, paint Jotun Lady ‘Sval Sjø’ 5262. 

Tell us a little more about your apartment?
The building is from 1942 and the apartment is 114 metres square (1227 foot square) with a pretty awesome terrace.

The paintings in the dining room are both vintage: the smaller one is by Danish artist Helle Thorborg and the larger one by Tom Wesselmann which the pair found in a second hand shop in Tokyo. 

What renovations have you carried out?
We've lived here for 1.5 years and spent the first 8 months completely renovating it. The final details are still a work in progress. Nothing had been done for 30+ years, so everything needed stripping down. We lived there throughout the renovations (which meant no bathroom, kitchen or even running water for 5 months!).

Painting on the floor by Farshad Farzankia from Exhibition A gallery. Montana shelving. 

It's refreshing to see so much colour in your home, is this something you've always been passionate about?
Before moving, we had just renovated our old apartment (not as extensively) and played around with different colours, which we loved. So we decided to be even bolder with colours in our new apartment.

How did you decide which colours to use?
All our paints are from Jotun, they make great colours and have an inspiring selection - also I love their super matte finish. We spent a lot of time deciding on our wall colours and thinking how they would suit one another, which I think is important.

I love the light blue tone, was it tricky to find the exact hue you were looking for? 
We knew we wanted the living room light blue, but struggled to find the right shade without risking it looking like a nursery. In the end we went for Jotun Lady ‘Sval Sjø’ 5262 and it is perfect! Just the right mix of fresh and colourful, yet calm and comforting.

A poster by Hilma af Klint purchased at Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.

Dining chairs by Rex Kralj, DOCKSTA table from IKEA. 

I spy some white walls in your home too...
We kept the bathroom and kitchen white (to my surprise). We wanted to let the tiling and the lovely oak of the kitchen shine on its own. But maybe it will get a splash of colour too at some point :)

Kitchen cabinets by IKEA, Jielde wall lamp, Le Creuset jug, Stelton Vaccum jug.

Pendant light by Broste, Georg Jensen alarm clock, this velvet cushion is similar. 

I love the cocoon like feel of your bedroom - what colour is this?
My boyfriend chose the color for our bedroom: Jotun Lady ‘Deco Blue’ 4477 and we love it. The dark and rich hue is soothing, perfect for a bedroom.
 

A vintage lithograph by Tom Krøjer adds a splash of colour to the bedroom. 

I love the glass details - are these original or something you added?
Most of the glass details are original. The building is from the architectural period of functionalism, so the small window details above the doors have a practical function to allow more light to flow through the space.

Can you tell us about the other colours in your home? 
For the miniature hallway between the bedroom and dressing room, we used a green-blue leftover from the other apartment called Jotun Lady ‘Prismegrønn’ 5341. And the dressing room is painted yellow in Jotun Lady ‘Velvet’ 10246. It was a bit of an odd one out, but I just loved the color samples and wanted to try it out. You can so easily repaint. But so far it is still a keeper.

I also love the pink in the hallway!
I really liked Jotun Ladys ‘Deco Pink’ 2782 and knew I wanted it somewhere. We ended up choosing the huge main hallway, which opens up to the living rooms. We were a bit concerned about the light blue vs. light pink right next to each other, but they complement each other well. Also, we have decorated the hallway with items in dark wood to even out the girliness, and actually think that my boyfriend is even happier with the result than I am!

Do you have any tips for anyone looking to inject a little colour into their own home?
Choosing colours was not easy. I used pinterest and instagram a lot in the colour selection process , so I could see pictures of how they looked in real life peoples homes and changed with the light. That was a big help in the process.

Thank you so much for showing us around your inspiring home Sofie Amalie! I love the use of colours, the unique furniture, the art - just everything! You've also made me feel a little more bold about using more colour into my home!

Does anyone else feel this way?

Colour guide:

1. SVAL SJØ 5262    2. DECO BLUE 4477   3. PRISMEGRØNN 5341  4. VELVET 10246   5. DECO PINK 2782

You can see more of Sofie Amalie's lovely home on her instagram feed @thusthefuss. And there's an archive dedicated to colourful homes here (hop over this home if it rocks up first - unless of course you'd like to look at it again, which I'd fully understand!).

Since it's a pubic holiday here in Sweden and I've got a man and two little girls waiting for me, I'm going to rush outdoors into the sunshine. I hope you don't mind that I won't be stopping by tomorrow to make the most of a bit of family time.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend and see you Monday!

Niki

All photography Sofie Amalie 

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A Dutch Home Infused with Warmth and Harmony

Hello Monday! I hope you had a great weekend? It was midsummer here so we're all nursing slight schnapps hangovers (lethal stuff that!). Nothing a double shot of coffee and a beautiful home tour can't fix though, thankfully! And have I got a charming home for you this bright, sunny Monday! Located in Monster (amazing name!), close to the Hague in The Netherlands, Tinta Luhrman's abode has a tremendously calm and harmonic feel thanks to the touches of beautifully crafted wood throughout. It's little wonder the owners have turned woodwork into a successful online business. I caught up with Tinta to find out more about interior design, her love of 'brown' tones and working with wood.

// affiliated links marked with *//

Who do you live with?
I live with the most special man, Rutger, the most beautiful girl Dieuwertje and the best dog ever, Paxi!

Dining chair*, Era armchair*, Natural linen table cloth*

Selenelion Moon print by Stella Marie Baer, Olly Wood Surf Board


What do you do for a living?
My husband and I design and make furniture and also have a webshop selling handmade products. I am an interior designer and Rutger is a carpenter. After years of working independently, we decided to combine forces and start working together.

What is the essence of Woodchuck? 

Simplicity and natural materials are at the heart of our business. We live and breathe wood, literally ;-). From early on, I was drawn to the colours, smell and look and feel of wood and Rutger loves to work with his hands. Woodchuck is a concept that is 100% us. Everything we sell is created by us and passes through our hands. We love this old school way of working and believe putting that extra bit of love into a product gives it something special - both for us and the clients.

"Design is an ongoing process that keeps growing until it's finished. Nothing is so subject to change as wood and a creative mind."

Mobile by Laine Maison Makes, Art by Lily Nichols

You have a beautifully unique interior, how has this evolved?

Since I was little I have always surrounded myself with natural materials. I've always been into Scandinavian and Japanese style. I don’t follow trends, I've always stayed true to myself. I have a penchant for vintage items but also new designs. Every house needs a uniqueness. I always start with a white canvas and then I let the interior evolve. Every room has a different light and feeling so I use this as my base. The same goes for the colors I use.

"Everyone has his of her own color: brown is mine. It's a hue that brings me a sense of calm and happiness. And I eat chocolate every day ;)" 

 

Woodchuck shelf

Vintage fans*

Do you have any tips for anyone looking to introduce more wood into their home?

I think wood gives your home warmth and the combination of using different kind of wood enhances this. But not every one loves it. Choose the wood you like the most to create your own look.

Bespoke wood wall by Woodchuck, Natural linen bedding*

Do you have any general interior styling tips?

Decorate your home in a way that feels good to you and dare to be different. Stay true to yourself. Surround yourself with beauty and try to have less storage space so you don’t buy a lot of things you don’t use. That’s why we have an open kitchen: we only have things in our kitchen that we use, not a pantry full of things we don’t.

Swedish Linens bed sheet

Thank you for welcoming us into your home Tinta. 

Anyone else tempted to add more wood to their home now? If you're looking for me today I'll be over on the Woodchuck website (or Tinta's instagram feed - looking for inspiration!), see you there?!

I also love the floor in the children's bedroom - I've got such a weakness for painted checks! Is there anything that struck you about this home? 

In case you're feeling inspired by all things wood you might also want to check out a Brooklyn home with reclaimed wood and the lovely home of ÉmilieDesjarlais (in case you missed it last week!) and also this guide to parquet floors.

Oh and this Dutch home features some lovely pieces from Woodchuck too.

Have a great start to the week!

Niki

All photography: Tinta Lurhman / Woodchuck

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Mid-century meets Boho in a Brooklyn Home

Hejsan! How's everything with you today? I'm curious, do you have a city that feels like a home from home for no other reason than it feels right? One of mine is Brooklyn! I always get excited when I discover a home tour in the New York City borough, especially when it's as lovely as this one. Mallory shares her apartment in Greenpoint with her partner and two cats and runs The Reserve, a thoughtfully curated shop selling the most beautiful rugs, poufs and cushions made from vintage Moroccan textiles. Let's take a tour...

How would you describe your style? 
My style tends to shift faster than I can keep up, but I would describe it as eclectic meets Mid Century modern meets California cool (in New York, of course). I’m drawn to natural materials like wood, jute, and wool and I love designing our space with a soft color palette in mind.

Tell us about your passion for rugs: 

"I'm a big believer that woven rugs can add so much character and texture to your home and alongside plants, make a huge style statement! I'm a fan of rugs in the dining room, kitchen, and layered in a living room or bedroom. My jaw always drops when I see a pop of colour in a perfectly worn runner lining a hallway or entry."

Rugs can be really tricky - do you have any style tips for us? 

"My tip would be to invest in quality handmade pieces with a history. Beautifully worn Persian rugs or faded Moroccan Boujaad rugs are my absolute favourite to style with. One-of-a-kind always wins in my book."

Loving the poufs you sell, do you have any advice for anyone looking to buy one for their home (i.e. me!)?

With poufs, my advice would be to think outside the box! I use my floor poufs as additional seating when entertaining, as space holders for those awkward nooks and crannies in the house, as lovely-to-look-at pet beds, and I stack them up to use as ottomans for movie nights at home. I know many people that also use them in reading nooks for kids or as meditation pillows.

Urban Outfitters NYC paid Mallory's a visit a few weeks back and turned their bedroom into a 'floral wonderland! Love how Michael (one of their kitty cats) is taking shade under a cheese plant leaf on the windowsill too!
 

Photography courtesy of The Reserve (with kind permission).

Thank you for telling us a little about your home and sharing your tips Mallory!

Hands up who'd love one of The Reserve poufs in your home? (*own hand shoots up*).

Get the look*

1. Light Brown La Fleur Hanging Chair
2. Bohemian Tassel natural cotton cushion
3. Round Bevel Edge and Tulip Base Dining Table
4. White sheepskin rug
5. Moroccan Boujaad XL Pouf No 1
6. Ikea SINNERLIG Pendant lamp
7. Cleopatra Quilted Cotton Bedspread
8. Monte Cushion #1
9. Cotton Velvet Cushion Cover

You can see more of Mallory's home and keep up to date with the latest items in her shop on instagram.

And more fabulous boho homes here - just in case you're after a little more inspiration (if this tour comes up first just scroll on passed)! 

Have a lovely day!
 


PS It's the final day to get 25% off posters* at Desenio with code 'myscandinavianhome.  Here's what I did with mine.  *Except on the handpicked / collaboration poster category and frames.


 * This post includes affiliated links which means that I make a very tiny amount of money (perhaps enough for a coffee and a choccy biccy from each post!) if you click or buy some of the items. Thank you for supporting the businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible.

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Guest post: Soothing Gothenburg apartment

Hello everyone! I am Dagný Björg from the Feel Inspired blog where I share with my readers what keeps me inspired. I can't believe February is almost through - I feel like the time has literally flown away in this new year. I am starting to look forward to the warm Icelandic summer and have already noted down what I'd like to do and go this year. Have you started any summer planning yet? But, enough of summer talk - care to join me in a home tour? It's a small apartment in lovely Goteburg where everything seems to have it's place. I also really like the soothing color scheme of gray, brown, little bit of mustard yellow and wood which makes this home really warm and welcoming. 

 Hope you enjoy this home tour. Have a lovely day and hope to see you on my Feel Inspired blog!

Love,
Dagný Björg

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