my home captured by karin: sitting room

Iiiiiit's Friday, woohoo! I'm looking forward to heading home and taking some down time with my little family. Maybe a walk in the forest with my three year old who's going horse riding, or wrapping up warm to take my elder daughter to her ice skating lesson - BRRRR! (I'll be battling with my man over that one!). Since home is definitely where my heart is today I thought it'd be apt to share the next in my mini series of 'my home captured by Karin'. This time it's my open plan sitting room in the spotlight....I hope you like it!

Pictures 1,2,,5,5,6  by Karin Björklund, Picture 3 by me. 

There's so much to do still - for example we'd like to paint the stairs white or light grey - any thoughts? Also we're in need of more light (especially as the days get shorter), I can't see a thing at night! OK, over exaggeration but...tips welcome!

I think Karin's done a sterling job on the photography. Thank you wondrful, talented K! Note though how my styling left a blanket all messy - just goes to show you can't miss a single trick in styling (I once read about someone who did a shoot over an entire day and then realised there was a bright red toy car under the sofa in every shot!).

In case you're interested here are a few tips on where things are from: Sofa, Scandinavian mid-century table and drinks trolley were inherited, black chairs from a flea market, Diamond print, Wasp print, Chair print, Muuto socket suspension light, phone and coloured cushions, Did I miss anything?!

See also my bedroom, my dining area, and my kitchen if you like :) Do you have any photos to share of your home or one you've photographed / styled?

So, the weekend......so exciting! What are you up to?

READ MORE...

49

My home: sitting room

On monday I showed a few snaps of my dining area. Here's the other side of our open plan living space. Looking at the snaps now I see that perhaps it could have been a little neater, but that is our style: laid back! We had great fun creating the picture wall. It was a case of finding items we love and that have meaning such as my daughter's hand prints, a framed heart engagement present from my mother-in-law, a Therese Sennerholt print from my husband, a poem read out on our wedding day which I wrote out and framed, mirrors and sculptures and then a few hours of 'left a bit, right a bit....!'

My Scandinavian Home

My Scandinavian Home

My Scandinavian Home

I picked up the armchairs for 10 pounds each at a mid century flea market in Malmö - such a bargain!! Admittedly they're a bit 'springy' to sit on but I love the shape of the arms! The shelves are by string. And the mid century coffee table used to be my parents-in-laws but you can pick these up at auction site Lauritz and the lights in the corner are from Granit. The blanket draped over the sofa is from Himla.

In the bottom left of the two top pictures you can just see a little IKEA Lätt childrens table and chair. I painted the top of it with blackboard paint and the legs and chairs white for my girls. The wicker Alseda pouffs are also from IKEA and great for adding a little extra seating when needed.

Next steps - paint the stairs white. Watch this space!!!

READ MORE...

19

I Found The Perfect Table and Chairs For Our Tiny cabin!

Paid partnership with  Skovby, all words and photos are my own and I only ever work with brands I love

Tjena! I hope you had a great weekend! We spent some time up at our little cabin and I'm really excited to share some snapshots of our new dining area with you. I can't begin to describe the feeling when we all sat down for our first family meal there (take-away pizza, so glam!).  

When it comes to furnishing a small space (30 m2 / 322 ft sq.) I've quickly learned that choosing less and choosing right is key, otherwise the space can quickly become cluttered.

These were the criteria I had in mind for our dining area:

1. The table needed to be small but still easily seat four

2. The table should be round to save space and avoid knocking into the corners

3. The table needed to be extendable for extra guests 

4. There should be extra seating which could be stacked to one side 

Danish brand Skovby has been a My Scandinavian Home partner for many years now - and I've always appreciated the high quality craftsmanship of their Denmark-made furniture (you might recall the glass cabinet, Per's desk, the coffee tables as well as countless other pieces). This little gem of a #120 dining table with white oil oak legs and a black laminate surface was the first to spring to mind for our cabin! 

The round table is a compact 102 cm in diameter and extendable with up to two leaves (available to buy separately), which means you can comfortably seat 6 or 8 people depending on how many leaves you add. Perfect! 

Chair wise, I chose the #807 dining chair in oak white oil. You know me, I love wood, it has such a warm feel, and the shell shape has some flex which makes it comfy. But if you want to go all out on the comfort, this model is available with upholstery for a soft touch, and the #802 version also comes with armrests.

I also picked up some #840 stools (in oak white oil) which can be stacked to the side when not in use (we've also already used them as a bedside table, sofa side table and a footrest!).  

I love that its sustainably made from leftover production wood (I first spotted it during my visit to the Danish Skovby carpenter workshop earlier this spring and picked one up there and then!). 

I hope you like the table and chairs as much as we do! In case you're interested in any of these pieces for your own small space, Skovby is available almost worldwide (find your nearest stockist here).

Incidentally, the table is available in 9 different finishes including oak white oil and white laminate tops - you can see all the variations here. 

In case you're wondering about the ladder, it can be removed and placed elsewhere when needed - but I guess someone could perch there too!

Give me a shout if you have any questions about anything in these pictures -I'd be happy to help! If you'd like to add any small space tips and tricks of your own, I'm all ears as the cabin is far from finished! 

I hope to be able to share a post about our kitchen - including all the details - soon (look closely and you'll see the knobs are missing). Watch this space! 

Wishing you all a great start to the week! 

Niki 

Photography: Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home

Styling: Helen Sturesson

READ MORE...

13

A beautiful Gothenburg space in white and brown

Is there an exact piece of furniture you've been hunting down for years but never quite found?! I can't tell you how long I've been looking for a beautiful farmhouse table. You know the one. Rustic, beautiful grains. The type of table where every nick and scratch tells a story. Admittedly the table in my dining area does have my daughter's names etched on it in biro, but this doesn't really count, does it?! What I'd love is a table top like the one in this lovely Stockholm apartment (could it be a re-purposed door?). Actually, could I'd take the entire apartment to go with it?! I mean, isn't it beautiful? The large, spacious rooms, double doors, traditional masonry oven, all that light! And then they've gone and decorated it in white, muted browns and just a hint of black and tarnished brass. Could you imagine living here?

 

Source: Bjurfors.

Sooo lovely, don't you think?

Get the look: dining area - Bentwood chairs, traditional brass candlesticks (or source vintage ones here), this abstract artwork is similar as is this chandelier, pick up a brass bar cart like this one here. sitting room - this rug is similar. children's bedroom - this is a great place to pick up vintage school desks. bedroom  Ikea floor lamp, white linen bedset.

It's the final day of filming here in the Hudson Valley - three long, but amazing days. I can't wait to show you the project!  I'll be sad to leave tomorrow morning but so looking forward to seeing the man an my girls!

Have a lovely day! 

READ MORE...

10

Because very small can be very beautiful too

Well, hello there! I'm feeling all revived today after a long weekend in the sun - the highlight had to be our picnic on the little island of Hallandsväderö off the south west coast of Sweden with this view (that cottage?!). The girls even took a dip - so much fun, but BRRRRRR! I hope you had a wonderful few days too? Right, on with today's tour! We've seen a 'shrinking homes' trend lately - which is why I wanted to kick off the week with this little Swedish gem - proof that very small (we're talking 32 square metres / 344 square foot) can be very beautiful too with a few very clever tricks. For example, a raised bed gives space for storage underneath, floor- to-ceiling shelves act as a room divider (a coat rack divides the hallway and kitchen) and a swivel chair can be used for the corner of the bedroom or turned into the sitting room area. Which means you really can get it all - a kitchen / dining area, hallway, bedroom, sitting room area and even a desk to sit and study / work. So clever!

Stadshem. Photography: Jonas Berg.

What a great use of space! Perfect inspiration for anyone living in an itsy bitsy space.

The narrow space-saving sink in the bathroom is especially handy too.

Is there anything that stands out to you?

Get the look: bedroom - the bed is bespoke with MALM drawers in white underneath. I love this rattan pendant lamp, white waffle blanket, this white clothes rack is similar (this clothes rail is a good space-saving one too), sitting room area: these mid-century nest tables (need to hurry though! If sold, try these), this is a great source for antique chaise longues, Hay hero dot cushion, vintage string shelves. Kitchen / dining area: IKEA shelves, white KitchenAid, this pendant lamp is similar.

It's also might be worth checking out the small spaces archive for lots and lots of one room apartment inspiration!
 
Have a wonderful start to the week (if only we were all here......?).

PS Lovely of those of you who messaged me about catching a glimpse of our family summer cottage - you've inspired me to explore the possibility of taking a few snapshots this summer. My husband's grandparents bought the land and built it and it's been passed from generation to generation. It looks very much as it did when it was first built - both inside and out. In the meantime, I was honoured to be interviewed about 'My Expat Life' for Motherland - are you a mother living outside your home country too?

READ MORE...

13

My dining room: touch of spring

I hope you all had a lovely weekend? My family and I headed off to a lake here in Southern Sweden called Krankesjön to enjoy some ice-skating and a barbicue on the frozen lake.  The sun was shining and the snow sparkled like diamonds. The only disconcerting noise was the eerie creaking of the ice! 

Speaking of sparkling, I also got down to a little spring cleaning. All Christmas decorations are out and the first signs of spring have arrived in my dining area and it feels wonderful!

Photography: My Scandinavian Home

PS Incidentally I asked a friend from Stockholm about the sound of creaking ice and he said that it can be a sign of 'good ice' but you need to be a pro to know the difference. I certainly wasn't going to wait around to find out!

How was your weekend? 

READ MORE...

24

A Stunning Norwegian Home In Many Shades of Blue

This has been a really inspiring week on the blog, I hope you've felt the same! On Monday I was dreaming about buying this holiday cabin on the Swedish island of Gotland complete with sea view and sauna. Yesterday I felt the urge to pack up all my belongings and move to a tiny cabin in the woods and pursue a career in pottery and today, I'm thinking I might just stay put after all and paint my home in shades of blue! When you see the interior of this stunning Norwegian home you'll understand why! Former owner Jan Thoresen and his wife (the apartment was sold last year) hired Tone Kroken to design their beautiful home in Oslo, which she decorated using a range of blue shades, veering from a soft grey-blue in the sitting room and a vibrant middle blue-grey in the hallway to a deep blue in the bedroom. Cognac accents, contemporary art and piles of books also add to the wonderful, unique feel of the space. Så flott!

TIP: To achieve the same rich patina seen in the bedroom and hallway try a minerals based paint like Pure & Original (which was used to paint this home) Jotun Lady Minerals (seen in the first two Norwegian bedroom shots in this post) or Kalklitir powder based paint (which the girls from Our Food Stories used to paint their beautiful studio and home) - the latter ships worldwide. You can also add Roll-A-Tex to normal paint like I did with my dining area (although be warned, this last option is soooo messy!!). Notice how the skirting boards and architraves have been painted in a slightly different blue accent adding interest and depth.

My eyes on that hallway. BE STILL MY BEATING HEART! Anything with piles of books and I'm in (I know I'm not alone either, the open shelving in Katarina Mattson's home is still my number one most popular instagram post E.V.E.R!) - but in combination with the 'mineral walls' - simple amazing!

Is there anything that caught your eye?!

Kudos to photographer extraordinaire Yvonne Wilhelmsen who took these wonderful pictures and interior architect Tone Kroken, the latter of whom who I had the pleasure of meeting when we captured her former home on an tiny car-free island outside Oslo for my second book The Scandinavian Home. It was such a magical day! Check out their interior book here and see more pics of this beautiful home on their website here.

More blue interiors to drool over today: feeling the blue in a Swedish home, a striking dark blue Stockholm pad, the wonderful home of a Swedish food blogger and how to add colour the Danish way.

I hope you're also singing the blues after all this Scandinavian inspiration today!

Niki

Photography: Yvonne Wilhelmsen  Styling: Tone Kroken

PS We've been beavering away on all your new room designs - so fun, thank you so much for signing up! If you'd also like to give my new room design service a whirl, I'm offering a special kick-off discount of 20% off with code MYNEWROOM. Get started here, or read more about the service here! 

READ MORE...

5

16 Inspiring Outdoor Terraces for Every Size, Style and Budget

Outdoor spaces are fascinating - there are just so many alternatives and done right, they can become a wonderful extension of your living space. Whether you're influenced by the 'English garden' (my Mother's London borders are packed with blooms and you can't see the patio for pots!), the 'Scandinavian outdoor space' (more often than not: an understated, practical and comfortable affair) or the walled Mediterranean courtyard, where balmy evenings are enjoyed alfresco with a chilled glass of rosé - I hope you'll find inspiration in my round-up of 16 outdoor spaces for every size, style, budget and climate!

1. The romantic urban oasis (above)
I had the pleasure of staying at Hotel Henriette in Paris for the launch of the French version of my Lagom book and it was even more magical in real life! Do as this wonderful boutique hotel and make a feature of a back wall using climbers, a mirror and twinkling fairy lights. Add vintage outdoor furniture for a romantic oasis right there in the city!

2. The urban side alley

Make the most of narrow spaces with slim borders a simple table and string lights!

3. The built in bench

When space is of a premium opt for a built-in bench that lines the wall or fence (it can also be used for storage!). Wisteria, seen in the far right corner, is a great plant for vertical greenery, and it's hardy too. We all know the real hero of this space though: the fireplace! How very hygge!  You can see the complete tour of this little garden here. 

4. The wood burning stove

An old wood burner has been given a whole new lease of life in this lovely Swedish backyard. Loving the bamboo furniture too.

5. The big illusion!
Mirrors can make a small outdoor space feel way bigger. I particularly love old repurposed varieties. This one is available at Aldgate Homes.

6. The window to the world

In an urban environment it can be tricky to carve out a private space. In this pretty Parisian courtyard which once featured on the front of Marie Claire Maison, glass windows ensure a light and airy feel while wisteria and potted Japanese Maples screen the patio from view. That bar table is great too, don't you think?

7. The natural canopy! 

This easy-to-care for space is a natural extension of the house. Vines have been trained along a trellis for natural coverage. Painting outdoor walls is also a great option if you like a little colour!

8. The all-weather 'garden'
This stunning space in Holland gives the illusion that you're outside while actually being housed in a greenhouse! Check out the tiles!

9. The boho-romantic patio!
Can you also feel the warmth and gentle breeze oozing from this sun-dappled terrace? Rattan furniture and bright coloured cushions add to the vibrant and relaxed feel. Word of warning - if you live in cooler climes, make sure you opt for rattan furniture designed to withstand all weathers.

10. The comfy diner! 
It's not always possible to squeeze in a dining area and comfy L-shaped sofa - so why not combine the two. This sofa has been made from concrete and then lined with pretty cushions. I also like that this Moroccan-inspired outdoor patio belonging to actress Shay Mitchell, has been made up of mix and match furniture and lots of vertical greenery for a wonderful, relaxed vibe! See the full tour over on My Domaine.

11. The treat your feet!
In the summer it's not unusual to wonder outside bare foot - so why not treat them to something soft? Rugs are a perfect way to make an outdoor space feel cosy. If you live in a rainy place (story of my life!) select rugs specifically designed for outdoor areas. 

12. Warm Minimalist

Who said minimalist spaces need feel cold? This beautiful, covered dining area has been created using palm woven chairs and a simple wooden table for lovely, long lunches alfresco. The towels on the wall give the impression that there might just be a pool lurking around the corner... nice! 

13. The Balcony jungle

Bring 'forest bathing' to your balcony with a load of beautiful plants (look closely and you'll see they are all low maintenance perennials - hurrah!). I also love how they've painted the wall dark grey to make the space feel more intimate. A set of string lights add a magical touch after sunset. 

14 . The DIY roof terrace

Unless it's your sole outdoor space, let's face it, roof terraces are often neglected! But there's a simple way to transform them into a comfortable oasis on a budget. This wonderful corner sofa has been cobbled together using a series of shipping palettes. Just add cushions and a pretty climber and you'll have a little oasis in no time. 

15. The hammock

Hands up who else would happily swap places with the person in this picture? We might not be lucky enough to have a pool like this (isn't it lovely?!) but there's usually a place for a hammock (I like this one*) - even on a balcony. Just add a great book! 

16. The pool garden

This would never fly in our garden in Sweden - but a girl can dream, right?! Plus, there might be some of you out there with a space and climate begging for a pool like this. If so, can I come over?! Oh, and it's made from a shipping container - can you believe that?!

Roll on summer and long lunches alfresco! 

For more outdoor inspiration today, take a peek at:

My small backyard gets a cosy make-over
7 boho ideas for outdoor spaces (big and small)
A charming Swedish garden
Alfresco showers!

I'd love to hear more about your ultimate backyard -  and what you loved most from these pictures. Weigh in below if you have the time!

Niki

Photo credits in order of appearance: 1. Herve Goluza / 2. Nanette Wong / 3 & 4. De Zanderik / 5 & 6 Peter Carlsson / 7. Aldgate Home / 8. Marie Claire Maison / 9. Unknown - can you help?! 10. Yvonne Kusters Interior / 11. Gypsy Purple / Katherine Ireland / 12. Shay Mitchell / My Domaine / 13. Unknown - please help me to match this picture with the owner! / 14. Tine K Home / 15. Unknown - can you help pair this picture with its owner? 16 Unknown - great if you can help! / 17. Haciendas Tentadoras - photo by Nils Preston Schlesbusch / 18. Tanqua pools (I am not sure if this is the original credit, if not, please give me a shout below!) 

Affiliate links marked with *

READ MORE...

10