Sedsel's Serene Oasis In The Heart of Copenhagen

Tjena! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! The weather broke here after weeks and weeks of sunshine which was a real blessing in disguise as it meant we finally got around to doing a few things at home - phew! I promise to share our bedroom make-over soon! In the meantime, across the Öresund strait, Sedsel Roug and her family have just returned to their apartment in Copenhagen after a few weeks in the Danish countryside. You might recognise her serene apartment from a feature in 2019 - when it was a sea of light green. Today, the flat has been undergone an off-white transformation resulting in a calm oasis in the heart of the city. I caught up with Sedsel (who I've had the pleasure of meeting before), to find out more about the colour palette, how to work with contrast, shapes and scale to add interest - and her passion for all things vintage. 

Can you tell us more about your apartment and why you fell in love with it?

The building was built in 1863 and is located next to eat French street Værnedamsvej in Frederiksberg, where you can find lots of cosy shops and cafes. I lived in Brussels and New York and just fell in love with the international vibe of the neighbourhood. 

Since I last featured your home, the colour palette has changed from sea green to a serene off-white. What was the thought behind this? 

I felt the need to create a calmness and wanted the art and vintage finds to stand out. So, I recently repainted the entire apartment in the same colour: 4311 from Flügger. 

Speaking of which, I absolutely love that your home is full of interesting pieces. Can you tell us more about your decorating ethos?

When it comes to decor, I always love an eclectic mix of vintage and found objects, which are collected over time and tell stories of their past. Decorating a home should be like a book - where you enjoy the journey rather than the end. 

What are the important elements to you, when decorating a home? 

I love working with scale, shape and placement. Decorating a home is a feeling and an intuition. I seek intrigue and curiosity with every element I add. I also love working with contrast - using a calm wall colour and then placing art and ceramics in dark colours in front. Somehow, the contrast creates thyme balance I am constantly searching for. 

Do you like to follow the latest trends? 

My home doesn't reflect a certain trend or style - it's a mix of things that move with me and items that tell a story. It's this blend that magically creates an interesting balance and calmness. 

Do you have a favourite piece of furniture? 

I have a big passion for wooden vintage objects. The little eight stool in the shape of an 'eight' (see above) is a big favourite (I found it on Etsy). Wood only becomes more beautiful with time. it brings so much warmth and tranquillity to a room. One should never be afraid of mixing different wood. 

What do you love most about your home?

Our home tells a story and I love to embrace the very fact that our table has stains from glasses, or that our floors are worn from our children running around. I guess I search the beauty in imperfection. Life isn't perfect and stains and patina don't ruin your living space but show someone is living here. 

Beautiful, and so inspiring, don't you think?

I love her quote: ''Decorating a home should be like a book - where you enjoy the journey rather than the end". This is exactly how I feel about my own home. It will never be 'finished'. 

Is there anything that stood out to you about Sedsel's home and / or words? 

You can see more snapshots of her living space over on her beautiful instagram @sedselroug. 

Fancy peeking inside a few other Copenhagen homes to kick off the week in style? here are a few of my favourites:

A cosy Copenhagen apartment full of vintage finds and plants

A wonderful Copenhagen apartment full of soul

A Copenhagen family home brimming with books and design treasures

Have a great start to the week!

Niki

PS I'm still on summertime over here (despite the not very summery weather!) and posting Monday, Wednesday and Friday until a return to my daily posts once the girls are back at school. Thank you for your patience! 

Photography: Sidsel Roug, shared with kind permission. 

READ MORE...

5

An Eclectic Home In The Heart Of Copenhagen

It's Friday friends! The weekend calls for something, don't you think? And today, I'm chatting to Ann Poulsen, a Dane who's passionate about DIY, sustainability and making her home feel as personal as possible. Velkommen to her beautiful Copenhagen apartment, decorated in a sea of colours, and adorned with art, vintage items and lovely, unique touches. 

Where do you live?

I live in an apartment in Copenhagen in an area called Island Brygge. 

Who do you share your home with? 

My boyfriend, Tim. He moved in a few months ago which explains why I haven't mentioned him in the renovating process on my instagram :)

What do you do for a living? 

I study Danish at Copenhagen University and also work in Langsamt, a store with a focus on sustainability. 

What is important to you when decorating your home? 

To design a space that feels like home and where I want to spend a lot of my time. Our home is our base. I feel best when things are tidy and I'm not surrounded by too much clutter. But it's also important to me that my home feels lived in. I also like my personality to shine through. I love to be creative and create a personal home where the decor is mainly made up of recycled and vintage finds. 

I love the tiles in your kitchen - where are they from? 

I bought them from a shop here in Copenhagen called Alverdens Fliser. I've always loved the herringbone pattern but there were so many colours to choose from! In the end I want for the beautiful blue and I've never regretted it! 

Your home is a wonderful, eclectic mix of colour and pieces - where do you find your inspiration from? 

I feel very inspired when I walk around secondhand shops. It always feels like I'm stepping back in time and it's fun to see the various trends from the past - I find the mix interesting. I also get a lot of inspiration from Pinterest and Instagram. 

 

Can you tell us a little about the colours you've chosen? 

In my bedroom I've chosen a mineral paint called Dusty Rose from Jotun Lady. It gives the room a raw, beautiful look and changes depending fin how the light hits it. In my kitchen, I've used Modern Beige from Jotun Lady. And in my living room, I've applied the yellow Gullhår from Jotun Lady. The green is from Bech & Jørgensen (colour code: 2014-N048). 

You have a lot of art on your walls - where do you buy it from?  

I like to buy posters from the exhibitions I have been to - it gives them a little history and art galleries always sell the finest art! I also buy a lot online. 

Did you make the piece in your bedroom (to the left) yourself? 

Yes! I made it around a year ago. It's quite easy to make with PU-foam, a canvas and the colour of your choice! 

Finally, what do you love most about your home? 

I love that it feels like home to both Tim and I. It's liberating to know I can decorate it however I like, and completely in my style. I don't think I will ever finish renovating - it's a never-ending project! 

Now that Tim's moved in, do you think he'll want to have a say in the decorating? 

No, not at all actually - he couldn't care less! He's really great as he never complains about the mess I make when I'm renovating either - and it can go for on for weeks! 

Thank you so much for telling us about your home Ann! 

You can see more snapshots and follow Ann's latest home decorating projects here. 

I love all the tones Ann's picked for her home - especially the blue tiles in the kitchen - refreshingly unique!  

Is there anything that stood out to you?

How about a few other Danish homes to enjoy over the weekend? Here are some of my favourites: 

Welcome inside the home of a Danish interior design consultant

On trend ceilings, art and books galore in a Danish home

A dreamy Danish home full of arts, books and design

Well folks, that's it from me this week. I hope you've enjoyed all the inspiration! Thank you so much for all your comments, I love reading each and every one of them - they're part of what makes this space a great community of fellow Scandic-design lovers! 

Trevlig helg!

Niki

Photography: Ann Poulsen

READ MORE...

3

An eclectic Copenhagen apartment with attitude

Hello there! I hope you had a great weekend? I arrived in Finland last night, and am sooo excited  (once again, any Helsinki tips so welcome!). We've got a full on shoot day today but I wanted to check-in, say 'hei' and share a few snaps from the striking Norrman household in Norrebro, Copenhagen. Beautifully captured by Lina Östling and Mari Strengheilm, interior designers Anna and Lars have decorated their home with a cool blend of white, dusty pink and dark grey, striking black marble and an eclectic mix of antique and flea market finds as well as items picked up travels. Their lovely doggy Helium looks right at home on that sofa, and rightly so?! 

Source: Photo Lina Östling. Styling Mari Strengheilm. Sköna Hem. 

What a fabulous home - soooo striking?! Is there anything that stands out to you? I've got my eye on that African juju hat - it looks beautiful framed.

Other items I love: sitting room - Beni Ourain rug. Loom and Field sells beautiful kilim pillows / cushions and rugs like these. Workspace - print: Faux poster collection - x,  wishbone chair. Kitchen - marble tiles, Calabash pendants.

See more pics and a full write-up of Anna and Lars' home over at Sköna Hem here (in Swedish). The duo have a great instagram feed too!

Other lovely homes captured by Lina Östling include the happy home of Johanna Flyckt Gashi (love this), Mari Strengheilm's island home (beautiful) and a Swedish home with a relaxed boho vibe (the colours). 

Right - better get on with the job... have a wonderful start to the week and see you Wednesday*!

*I'm on 'slow blogging' summer time right now while my girls are on their school holiday and posting every other day - bear with me for a couple more weeks and then I'll be back daily again! 

READ MORE...

18

A lovely Swedish home with something for everyone

It's been a colourful and eclectic week here on the blog. Hopefully you've felt inspired to convert your garden shed into a little place you can call your own (I wish I had a bigger garden!), tried your luck in the give-away to win a fun bed linen set from Feliz and feel full of ideas from the eclectic Copenhagen home?! I must admit, I'm feeling the inspiration! I thought I'd complete the week with this lovely gothenburg apartment. I love that there's something for everyone -  a touch of monochrome, pops of colour and pretty floral wallpapers for those who love a little romance! The perfect home with which to finish the week, don't you think?

Credits: Photo: Anders Bergstedt. Styling: Anna Furbacken for Entrance Mäkleri

Loving that hat collection (and the way each hat is hang on a hook!) - what a great idea for the hallway?

Is there anything you love in particular about this home? 

Here's a quick guide to some of the items: kitchen - smeg fridge freezer, kitchen aid, source an industrial pendant light here. Bedroom - buy a row of wooden hooks from IKEA and paint the same colour as the wall, grey linen bedding. Children's bedroom - bed from IKEA, elephant cushion, William Morris wallpaper. Hallway - pick up vintage string shelves here.

A little weekend link love:

A hotel room with no walls (now that's my kind of camping!).

This instagram gallery shows lovely snapshots of life in Landskrona, Sweden.

Imagine working here?!

Could you go for these rich accents in your bedroom?

Would you dare to paint your front door sunny yellow?

10 beautiful ways with stonewashed bed linen (House of Linen sells absolutely lovely linen in all kinds of dusty hues - just saying!).

The beautiful Eames house.

If you go down to the woods today in Sweden you'll come across quite a few blueberry pickers - if you've got some leftover after your pie, this simple blueberry lemonade recipe looks delicious!

Right, that's it for me. My Mum and Dad have just arrived from London so we're all super excited! I hope you've got some fun plans for the weekend too?

Have a wonderful couple of days and see you Monday!

READ MORE...

7

A Relaxed Mid-century Inspired Danish Home

Living just over the bridge from Copenhagen, I'm often asked 'how often do you visit?' The answer is "not enough". Seriously, this is a crying shame - I absolutely love the Danish style. There's something relaxed, bohemian and achingly cool about it. It's also a quietly confident look which relishes in imperfection. Take the Danish home of Anne Hundborg - a self-employed web developer and graphic designer, her boyfriend Jonas, five children (combined), a dog and a cat (yes that's one "full house," laughs Anne) as an example.  Located in the city of Randers on the Jutland peninsula, Anne has decorated her home under the ethos "the rules are there ain't no rules" (....ha! I recognise that line - do you?!) and chooses to "mix all sorts of textures, materials, colours, and decades." Look out for mid-century touches and wonderful, playful details throughout! 

Photography / design: Anne Hundborg

What a charming home?! I love all the mid-century touches and artwork in particular - how about you?

Get the look: dining room - Panthella floor lamp, Posters / prints: Bambi and Heels and Resting Feet by Paper Collective. sitting room - Söderhamn sofa, landscape prints by Enklamide, SINNERLIG Pendant lamp. Children's bedroom - Doughnuts poster from Desenio.

You can see more of Anne's lovely home over on her Instagram feed here (many items are tagged too), and a whole load more of 'great dane' (sorry) inspiration in this archive (don't miss a Danish home full of vintage finds, the dreamy home of a writer, an eclectic Copenhagen apartment with attitude in particular - all very different, all truly inspiring!).

Have a great day!

READ MORE...

3