A white and grey Malmö apartment

I hope you had a great weekend? It rained the entire two days here. Grrr! But we realised that the saying 'there's no such thing as bad weather only bad clothing' really rings true when you have frustrated pent-up kids at home. So we got our head to toe rain gear out and headed to the forest with a barbecue. Not only did we feel very virtuous but we had a lovely time too! Recently I've covered black, white, concrete, light wood and even green floors. So this week I thought I'd start with a Malmö apartment with grey floors. It's nicely balanced with the grey pendant light and bed linen and pastel shades seen in the rugs and cushions. What do you think, is a grey floor for you?

Bo-laget Via Do you Fancy This with thanks

I'm totally into linen bedding at the moment ....and it only gets softer and softer the more you wash it - perfect for a Monday morning lie in (dream on....!).

For more grey inspiration you could always take a scroll through my 'decorating with grey' label.

Since Christmas (wait...did someone just say the c word?!)  is only 6 weeks away (eeeek) it's time to start planning (mentally anyway). Which is why my new sponsor Self Packaging couldn't have arrived at a better time! The idea behind Self Packaging is to apply the DIY concept to the world of packaging, demonstrating that making your own gift boxes is not only easy and cheap but fun too!  I'm loving their Christmas collection including this very cool make your own advent calendar kit and little cardboard decorations.

Have a great start to the week!

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Summer at this Swedish pool villa?

Not far from Kivik, a summer paradise on Sweden's Southeast coast, you'll find the picturesque village of Södra Mellby - not far from where Nora and Laura of Our Food Stories used to have their charming summer house. It's well worth a visit by bike - but for those of you who fall in love, you might want to think about snapping up this villa!

The two-bedroom open-plan villa has clearly been revamped by someone with a keen eye for design - and has absolutely everything you might need to rock about in style all summer! I for one, would be perfectly happily flitting between the white linen sofa, to coffee at the rustic table, followed by an afternoon siesta on the daybed (curtains can be pulled across at night to form a bedroom). But on days like today (the sun is shining in South Sweden!), the pool and outdoor kitchen are surely where the action is! 

Note the magnificent ceiling height and the blend of natural materials from concrete and wood to linen and wool - which add so much texture! Ready to dream? 

The villa is laid out over two floors with a bedroom on each. Sometimes it can be hard to gauge the configuration so I've shared the plan below. There is also a separate dwelling with a further bedroom. 

Sovrum - bedroom, kök - kitchen, vardagsrum - living room. 

Could you imagine living here? 

One to share with Per I think, I can already see him setting up the barbecue and our Friday night drinks around the pool! 

Would you like to see a few other pool villas today? It would be rude not too with the lovely weather we have in Scandinavia right now! Here are a few of my favourites: 

A Swedish photographer's magnificent pool villa (the cat steals the show!). 

Airbnb tip - the Stonecutter's farm on the island of Öland

18 ideas to steal from a Swedish pool villa, from budget to blowout

Also, take a peek at 10 small pools for every space and budget and 15 outdoor shower and bathroom ideas!

Niki

Photography courtesy of Erik Olsson, with thanks. 

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A Swedish apartment with dramatic dark shades

Why hello there Thursday! Is it just me or is the week whistling by?! It could be that time flies when you're having fun and yesterday I had a great day with Valentina Fussell (you might recognise the name from this piece I shared the other day). We're working on an exciting project which is well overdue. I can't wait to share it with you....watch this space! But back to the here and now - and today I thought we could take a tour of this fab home in Gothenburg. Think beautiful dark wood floors, dark grey / blue kitchen units, black accent walls, bold shelving and rich textures such as concrete, wood, sheepskin and leather. So dramatic and so lovely! Let's take a look.....

Stylist: Emma Fisher, Photography: Alen Cordic - Bjurfors

What a great space?! And what a contrast to yesterday's light and airy apartment. Which look do you prefer?

Get the look: Tom Dixon beat lights, super front door handles, Gotland sheepskin throw (how have I never discovered this beautiful Etsy shop before?!), diamond black and white rug.

You can see the full tour of this apartment over at Bjurfors (yes, it's for sale!).

Oh and off topic, but if you're up for a little DIY project  - how fab is this wall with painted 'eyes'?! Something for the weekend perhaps?

Have a lovely day! 

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A stunning Dutch home blending old and new. And give-away winner....

Hello! I hope you had a wonderful weekend? I ended last week with a Dutch home tour and this week I'll start with one too (talk about going Dutch!). This one hundred year old farmhouse owned by Rosemarijn van Zandvoort of Skattejakt (check out her beautiful shop and blog) has been carefully restored using a blend of old and new. I think the old world rustic charm of the beams and wooden floor against the Scandinavian blonde wood and white walls (and a touch of poured concrete) looks truly fantastic, how about you?

Photography: Margriet Hoekstra with kind permission. Styling: Rosemarijn van Zandvoort Barbara Natzijl, VT Wonen Via The Style Files with thanks

l often look around my open plan sitting room and dining room area and think I have thrown together to many different types of wood. But when I see Rosemarijn's home it gives me confidence that everything doesn't need to match. How about you?

Try here for stunning aged / reclaimed wood floors.

Thank you so much for all the wonderful entries into last week's give-away to win a Ferm Living Candleholder String from Nest. I wish you all could have won, it was so much fun reading your lovely comments. I am excited to announce the winner: Bene Artuphel please send me a mail with your address so we can organise the shipment.

Have a lovely Monday!

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In Malmö, An Artist's Home and Atelier In A Converted Workshop

Do you keep an eye out for homes for sale in your area, even if you're not looking to move? I love to obsess over the pages of Hemnet (Sweden's estate agent directory). Obviously, it's all in the name of work. OK, who am I kidding? It's like a glossy interior mag! But it also provides a rare and wonderful opportunity to peek behind the facade of properties you've walked past a hundreds times. And maybe, just maybe you'll stumble across the home of your dreams! This weekend, I discovered this artist's residence behind a discreet gate, inside a leafy courtyard in the Triangeln area of Malmö. It's a part of town I walk around regularly, but I've never even noticed the gate! Laid out over three levels, the old converted carpentry workshop features whitewashed brick walls, tall windows and rustic wood floors interspersed with soft-cut concrete. The charming house has been enjoyed by an artist and furry friend for many years, and now it's time for someone else to take the baton! Could it be you? Or me?! Or perhaps we could all go in together?!

Kind of magical, don't you think? I love how Nordic minimalism and industrial rawness come together. 

And boy, could you have some great parties in this place! 

The property is currently for sale here. Sadly, the handsome dog doesn't come with it!

Other homes in Malmö to love today: 

The white and wood home of a Malmö creative

A beautiful Malmö home

A striking and relaxed Malmö family home

Anyone would think I was trying to convince you to move to my town. Who, me?! Find my local guide here....

Wishing you a fabulous start to the week!

Niki

Photographs courtesy of Bolaget Fastighetsförmedling

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A stunning Italian loft

I'm so over excited about today's home tour: an incredible Italian loft created by architects Amorfo. It's a little like a museum - every piece has been carefully selected for it's aesthetics whether mid-century, industrial or designer - and exhibited against a backdrop of concrete / white walls and floors and angled ceilings. Modern day architecture and minimalism at it's best! I would add soft textiles such as colourful rugs, throws and cushions to make it my home. How about you?

Amorfo via April and May

Is this your kind of style? Anything that stands out to you in particular? I love the huge glass door which opens the entire space out onto the terrace!

You can see more pictures of this space here if you'd like. 

I spy: the Flos 265 wall light, the Vitra Wire Chair DKR-5 is similar and one of my favoruite outdoor pieces - the Butterfly chair. Beautiful mid-century pieces like this teak side-table at LiveAuctioneers.

Have a lovely day!

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