Teal Steals the Show in This Hamburg Apartment

Hello there! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and the sun is shining where you are too? I was thinking the other day about how moving abroad means new countries become more accessible. Spending my childhood in South West England, we could visit France over the day (with a little planning!) and living in Malmö, Hamburg is actually nearer than Stockholm (I so wish I'd concentrated in my school German lessons now!). As a result,  I often turn to German homes for inspiration (I'd love to hear about how the countries over your nearest border inspire you!). The latest home to catch my eye is that of Kristina Ahoi. Kristina lives in a magnificent apartment in Hamburg with high ceilings, beautiful period features (those roses!) and an original parquet floor. But the real show stopper is the dramatic teal backdrop in the dining area which seems to makes everything pop! Let's take a peek.

The first question I asked Kristina was 'what is that beautiful paint colour in your dining area'? Possibly even before I'd said "hi". The answer is 'Jägergrün' 04.031.01 from German paint brand SCHÖNER WOHNEN. Isn't it the most perfect shade of teal?Oh and the table is by Hay!

I do love a Marshall bluetooth speaker (I have the same at home, although slightly larger - but I like that this one has a handle and you can carry it with you as you go!). 

I feel warm just looking at the lovely rays of light in this corner of Kristina's home, how about you? 

It's incredible what a difference an injection of colour from the kilim rug makes to the sitting room. This one is from On the Rugs in Hamburg but Loom & Field sell similar and ship worldwide. The sofa is mags by Hay and the pendant light is the Petite Friture (this is a great statement light if you have relatively high ceilings and a fairly large room). 

 All photography © Kristina Ahoi.

The bike mount also caught my eye. I've never seen one like this before. It's basically a height adjustable metal pole that runs from the floor to the ceiling with a bike attachment. I love that it's safely away from the white wall to avoid oil / mud marks. Kristina's even attached a shelf too! What a perfect place for a plant?!

Other examples of bikes being stored in a fab way include the solution in this Swedish home (possibly a little high  / awkward for daily use but perfect for anyone that a) has a very cool bike and b) uses it sporadically) and this danish home (very practical - love Julie's bike too!). Oh, and if you're looking for a similar solution, this round-up of 12 best bike racks is great. 

Is there anything that caught your eye in Kristina's home?

You can see more angles from this lovely space on Kristina's instagram feed here. 

I hope you have a wonderful start to the week!

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Get the look: inspiring sitting room of an interior designer

Well hello there! I had a great start to the week yesterday with a photo shoot at my friend, interior designer Genevieve Jorn's home in the centre of Malmö. If you're an avid reader of My Scandinavian Home I'm sure you're already familiar with Gen's home - we've been following her fabulous renovation one room at a time over the past year (take a peek inside her kitchen, office and bedroom). And now, with a little help from beautiful danish brand Nordal, a selection of art and her tree, 'Benjamin'- her sitting room and dining area is now complete! Here are a few shots from the cosy living area where Gen, her husband Kasper and cutest little Olivia love to hang out!

Photography: Niki Brantmark - My Scandinavian Home. Styling: Genevieve Jorn - interior designer.

What a great space? I secretly wanted to stay and hang out right there on the sofa all week!

I especially love how the space is filled with art, personal touches and a mix of old and new.

The wooden pharmacy sideboard, console, and dining table compliment the original herringbone floor and add a wonderful warmth to the room - and the plants truly bring it to life (Gen bought 'Benjamin' from an online second hand store for a song! It's so worth keeping an eye out for bigger plants online - businesses are often selling them off!

Is there anything you love in particular about this space?

Get the look from Gen's sitting room:

1. This wall decoration with beads is similar 2. Fur cushion 3. Console table 4. Pharmacy sideboard 5. Wooden stool 6. Garden pot grey 7. Garden pot, natural

If you're wondering about any of the other items give me a shout in the comment section below and I'll do my best to help.

Have a great day!

PS Nordal ships throughout Europe.

The post is brought to you in collaboration with Nordal. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I absolutely love and think you will too! Thank you for supporting the businesses that help bring fresh content to your mail box and make My Scandinavian Home possible.

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An Inspiring Finnish Home With an Element of Surprise

It was such a long while since I featured a Finnish home, wasn't it?! I have absolutely no idea why since I love Finnish style. In fact, one of the highlights of my second book The Scandinavian Home was that I got to visit Finland for the first time and photograph two inspiring homes. Naturally both had saunas (they are such an integral part of daily life that there are said to be more saunas in Finland than cars!) - but with one being in the countryside and one in the city the two styles were very different. The home of interior design and lifestyle blogger Sini Liikala, her husband and two children reminds me very much of the second place we visited. It's modern, bright and minimalist with a beautiful, large open-plan living space.  But it also harbours an element of the unexpected...

In the kitchen, sleek, white kitchen cabinets from Finnish brand Topi Keittiot  (IKEA sells similar) are broken up by a black mat faucet and sink (both Tapwell) . The shelves above are laden with ceramic and glassware including the classic Oiva Stoneware Teapot* by Marimekko (loving the gentle silhouettes).

I like how Sini has combined marble (the large square tiles are from Tarratinta) with wood flooring to create a distinct kitchen zone and add a lorry load of warmth! I'm not sure if you're thinking what I'm thinking: how about stubbing a toe in the night?! On closer inspection however, it looks like the wood floor has a soft gradual edge. The oak bar stools are from Hay and the lights are the Artek A110 pendant (FYI!). 

 "I think our home is quite a typical modern Finnish house. Nowadays people like to build modern houses with big open spaces, large windows and minimalist shapes. Although, I still think our home is quite unique and looks like us."

The family dining area includes some real Scandinavian classics including the Artek beehive light and wishbone chairs. I like how the inclusion of a black chair balances the dining area with the black door behind (US readers - check out Target's budget friendly look alike!). The white storage cabinet in the background (and below) is by Finnish brand Lundia.

"The best thing about our home is that we have a big open space which incorporates a kitchen, dining room and living room. It means we can all be together as a family but there is still enough space for everyone to do their own things if needed."

Despite the open space, Sini has created a cosy spot for the family to relax (I bet it's even toastier when the fire's going!) using layers of textiles (including a Beni ourain rug), plants and a raft of new nordic design pieces such as a pink Ferm Living Plant Box (I've got my eye on that, how about you?!) and the Around coffee table.

"I think that the best interiors come with time, and years bring different interesting layers to it. I usually buy furniture that I hope will last decades and tell the story of our home to our visitors."

 "Every interior guide says that all the rooms should be in 'perfect harmony' with each other to create a complete look. I am quite a 'safe' decorator who loves neutral tones but I wanted to have one room with a completely different look." 

To achieve the darker look,  Sini covered the back wall with bold floral wallpaper from Ellie Cashman Design (if you have the time you must check out this insta feed!). The rest of the room has been painted in Stiffkey Blue from Farrow & Ball. A rattan pendent from Bloomingville, and an IKEA bench and cabinet add a soft, light touch to the overall look.

"I really love our bedroom because it's like going to a completely different land! It's dark and kinda romantic and that's what I like in a bedroom. People are always so surprised when they enter the room! They're like "wow! this is awesome!" it's not what you'd expect from our home when you look at the other rooms. And that's why I love it so much, it's my hidden flower garden."

"We have black window frames so I figured black doors would go well with them. I also wanted to add an 'edge' to the interior since most of our walls are white. I have not regretted them, I love them!"

Thank you so much for inviting us into your home Sini! Love that you have broken the design rules and followed your heart - that's what makes a house a home - don't you think?

If you'd like to know where more of the items give me a shout in the comment section below and I'll do my best to help. Sini is also great at tagging her images over on instagram, so you can always check there too (and see more of her home over on her blog!)!

If you fancy taking a peek at more homes in Finland today, how about this home in a converted factory,  a living space where old meets new and the calm Finnish home of Anna Pirkola. Yup, the Finns know what they're doing when it comes to interiors!

A little bit of Finnish trivia for you too - did you know that when a baby is born in Finland they are given a box which includes every single item thing they might need for the best start in life? The box itself is designed to be slept in too! You can find out more about what it contains and why they provide it here (it makes for a fascinating read!).

Have a lovely day all!

All photography © Sini Liikala shared with kind permission. 

*My Scandinavian Home posts include some affiliate links.

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Beautiful Danish Lamps In My Study - In Shades of Toffee and Smoke

Brand news: 

A few weeks ago, I showed a beautiful photographer's home from the Danish island of Bornholm - and it was a perfect reminder of the sheer creativity on the island. As you're aware, one of my favourite 'makers' is located right there in the Baltic Sea: Pernille Bülow. I absolutely can't get enough of her mouth blown SKY lamps, and Per is mesmerised too (always helpful when the man is on board too, don't you think?!). A few weeks ago Pernille Bülow launched three new beautiful shades: Smoke, Toffee and Green. As a fan of all things earthy, I immediately reached out about the toffee and smoke variant to hang in my home office along with hate clear version I already have. It was like everything just fell into place. Don't you love it when a plan comes together?! 

The mouth blown glass pendants all have unique organic shapes and feel so beautifully smooth. I love the small imperfections too as they show that they are individually made in the atelier. 

For this cluster I have used: Smoke large, Toffee medium, Clear gold medium.  

You can choose between brass / gold or chrome / grey fittings (I love the former for my home) and if tones of brown aren't your thing there are 11 different colours to choose from (they also look great hung individually). 

I love it when a plan comes together! 

Could you imagine having the these beautiful lamps somewhere in your home? 

If you're curious about where else you might be able to hang them, check out how they look in other areas of my home (and in various shades):

Dining area

Over a vintage bar cart

In the kitchen

FYI they ship worldwide. 

I love my little home office even more now. In other news: Per is teaching from home right now and there's always a little tussle over who sits here. So, this week I'm turning the window nook in our bedroom into a home office / study just for him. Keep an eye on the blog for the results (and hopefully, one very happy man). 

Niki

This post is brought to you in collaboration with Pernille Bülow, however all words and pictures are my own. Thank you for supporting the wonderful businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible! 

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My kitchen update: HONK trolley

We were so lucky to have plenty of cupboard storage in our kitchen when we moved in. But sometimes I feel open storage is pretty handy too - plus I love the relaxed vibe it gives a space, don't you agree? Thanks to Danish homeware brand Nordal (#Ilovemywork) I finally got around to installing this beauty in the kitchen a few weeks back. Made from iron and recycled fir wood, the HONK trolley (great name!) has a lovely industrial feel - and as soon as I put it in place, it felt it had always been there - don't you love it when that happens? As you can see, it's already laden down with things (however did I find the space for these items before?). Here's a sneak peek....

Photography: Niki Brantmark / Styling Genevieve Jorn

Soooo happy with it!

Here's a quick guide on the items in my kitchen:

1. Wall lamp 2. Black and gold bowls 3. Glass measuring jar 4. Grey coat hook 5. HONK trolley 6. Stoneware pitcher 7. Tapas board 8. Grey leather carpet 9. Graphic oven dish10. Espresso pot.

Nordal ships throughout Europe - find your nearest dealer / stockist here.

Have a lovely day! 

PS Keep an eye out for my full kitchen reveal next month! In the meantime here's a tour of my dining area - so happy with the updates!

This post is brought to you in collaboration with Nordal. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I absolutely love and think you will too! Thank you for supporting the businesses that help bring fresh content to your mail box and make My Scandinavian Home possible.

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