My Scandinavian Home - Best of 2016

Well friends, this has been one crazy year. I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed blogging in 2016 - it's been a little oasis of calm each day (I hope you've felt the same).  I've absolutely loved reading all your thoughts and ideas on here, Facebook and Instagram (if I've missed your page please leave your link in the comment section below, I'd love to check it out!). It's been a wonderful year of home tours, styling updates and give-aways. Here's a round-up of the...

Top six My Scandinavian Home blog posts of 2016:

 1. Serene, small space living in Gothenburg. Photo Alan Cordic, styling Emma Fischer for Bjurfors.

2. My home at Christmas - photo - me with help from my little six year old), styling Genevieve Jorn.

 3. Six beautifully simple DIY Christmas decorations - credit: Marij Hessel for VT Wonen. 

 4. My bedroom tour - photo by me, styling Genevieve Jorn.

 5. Decorating my home with posters - photos / styling  by me

6. A romantic Swedish home with vintage touches - home-owner - Cattis sold through Entrance.

I've also developed a slight Instagram obsession (haven't we all?!) and am so happy to have amassed over 50,000 friends! It's a perfect place to share little snippets of Scandinavian life  - including rustic cabins and wonderful corners of Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark. Looking at the top five most popular instagram posts of the year it seems you share this passion too...yay! Here's a round-up of my...

Top 5 Instagram posts of 2016

 1. A canoe trip in Finland - Photography - Henrik Koskelo / @hentus (featuring Konsta Punkka)

2.  Christmas in a cosy Swedish home - photo Carina Olander stylist Anna Truelsen.

 3. A snapshot of Nyhavn, Copenhagen I captured on a visit to Denmark's capital city.

 4. Pink chair by a desk - Photograph - Anders Bergstedt for Kverteret Mäleri.

5. A charming Little red cabin - this little pic has been separated from it's owner- can anyone help?


And last, but not least - Pinterest!! Where mood boards come together and ideas come to life (if you can tear yourself away from the screen!). Here's a round-up of the My Scandinavian Home...

Top 5 Pins of 2016

1. This little pic I took of a corner of my home has had over 1.5 million impressions in the last month alone! It must be that little guy at the top?

 2.  Quite a few (million) of you like the idea of a bench at the end of the bed like in this Swedish home captured by one of my favourite duos photographer Carina Olander and stylist Anna Truelsen.

 3. Stonewashed linens have been everywhere this year - and these lovely ones in the home of Vintage Piken are possibly yours and my favourite!  Photo by Line Kay.

 4. On Pinterest it's all in the pink it seems, as the fourth most popular pin was this lovely picture of an Amsterdam bedroom captured by my talented friend Holly Marder.

 5. And finally, we do love a gallery wall - and Maaike Koster of My Deer certainly knows how to create one! See the rest of her wonderful home here.

I have to say, these are also my favourite posts and pins from 2016 too! But do you have an absolute favourite?

On a different note, back in the spring I was excited to launch my first interiors book - Modern Pastoral (exploring my passion for rural retreats, and sharing beautiful homes like Milkweed Barn in the Catskill Mountains below!) it was such an amazing feeling to finally get it in my hands and I'm so happy to see others around the world enjoying it too! Thank you!

Photography: James Gardiner from Modern Pastoral by Niki Brantmark, published by CICO Books.

This summer we photographed 10 more fabulous homes across Scandinavia for my second book The Scandinavian Home - which will be out in the shops next March - I am so incredibly excited as I know it will be right up your street! Creating the book was the most amazing experience, even when lost on a Norwegian mountain in the dark. I tell you, the site of that magical rustic ski cabin full of layers of sheepskin at the end of the dirt track at 1 am is one I'll never forget! But more on this in the new year....

Before I head off I'd also like to say a huge thank you to all the amazing photographers, interior designers and stylists out there who have filled us with inspiration this year - and also to my wonderful sponsors who make My Scandinavian Home possible. Many of them are small online shaops, and when you buy something an actual person does a little dance!

And finally - thank you to you all for all your wonderful support and words of encouragement this year, you're wonderful!

Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a *fabulous* new year!

PS If you feel like being horizontal this holiday (isn't that what they're for?!) but would still like to feel inspired, you can always explore my archives (full list to the left) - days of inspiration, I promise! And don't forget to enter the HUGE Houseology give-away to win an amazing gift voucher to spend on your home in 2017 (think all those Scandinavian design items you've always wanted!).

PPS see you on January 9th!
 

READ MORE...

22

Irina's White, Light-Filled Family Home

I love to share all kinds of homes on My Scandinavian Home - from the more relaxed, bohemian style to the clean and minimalist look. And today is a fine example of the latter. Irina's home in Munich caught my eye for several reasons: it's light and airy (which feels important right now), it's void of clutter (which is extremely intriguing since she and her husband have a little four year old son at home, so I wanted to hear more about how she achieves this, and hopefully pick up some ideas for my own home - yep, forever hopeful!). And finally, there's one piece of furniture that I've never seen before - but absolutely love. Read on to find out more and feel inspired!  

What is your home decorating philosophy? 

I really do believe that less is more. I feel better when I'm surrounded with less things and only items which I like and find useful. My favourite quote is "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."

How do you keep your home so neat and tidy with a small child around?

Of course, it requires a bit more effort to keep the home looking like this, when you have children. I need to clean up a little bit more often, but it's my choice. And I have a rule to never get mad at my husband and son if they leave things / toys in the wrong place."

I love your wooden screen! 

The oak screen is from Hubsch and I use it all over our home - sometimes to soften light, sometimes as a room divider. 

Skog (forest) print by Fine Little Day* 

Your home stood out to me in the 30 Day Home Love Challenge because of the way you play with shadow and light in your photography - is this conscious? 

Photos with beautiful light / shadow patterns are my favourites. Luckily, we have huge panoramic windows at home, so usually there is enough light to play with, but I sometimes think about adding some curtains to make the light softer. 

Do you have curtains in your bedroom?

We don't have curtains in our bedroom - but we do have electric blinds. If there's anything that wakes me up in the morning - it's my son! 

Children tend to have a lot of toys and other things, how do you keep your sons' room so neat?

I like to go by a less is more approach - buy less toys, but really good ones. We prefer classic toys and almost never buy on impulse. 

I see you focus on child-friendly home decor in your shop mysoulmateplace, how did this come about?

I started my shop in 2017 in Russia, while on maternity leave. I actually have a higher education in finance and worked as a marketing manager / specialist in various companies from the Forbes500 list, but always dreamed of working in the interior and product design sphere. When I first opened my studio, I was selling only my own designs and the shop quickly grew. After we relocated to Germany, I had to start all over. Now I focus on children-friendly home decor / decor you can play with. My goal is to help families keep their homes beautiful without worrying about decor pieces and child safety. All the pieces are very smooth, lightweight and made from natural wood. 

With everything going on right now, has your perception of 'being at home' changed?

It's a strange time now. Maybe it's time to slow down, rethink and be closer to family. Usually my husband has a lot of business trips and my son is at kindergarten, so I'm home alone (I work from home). And now, we are all together at home 24/7. It's a unique opportunity for us and we try to enjoy every minute, despite all our worries and concerns.  

Thank you so much for transporting us to your lovely, light filled home today Irina! 

If you'd like to see more snapshots of her lovely Munich living space, take a peek at her beautiful Instagram feed @mysoulmateplace. And don't forget to browse her online shop mysoulmatespace - so many beautiful things! 

Is there anything that stood out to you in particular about Irina's home? Do you also live by a 'less is more' philosophy? I'd love to hear your thoughts below! 

Niki

Photography: Irina / @mysoulmateplace

*affiliate links

READ MORE...

1

The Secret to Creating a Calm & Organised Home, Scandi Style

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

Minimalist, practical, calm, organised. These are just some of the words that people frequently use to describe a Scandinavian home. And they'd be right! Having lived in Sweden for over 18 years I am constantly amazed at just how neat and tidy people's homes are (with the rare exception, of course!). Life is messy, children are messy, so, just how do they do it? Simply acquiring less stuff - or having a good old declutter certainly helps. But there is something more at play. 

I put a lot down to excellent storage. 

Simply put - I've been told that by creating a perfect home for everything - no matter how big or small, keeping your home tidy, neat and organised will be way easier. 

The problem 

Now, I'm going to fess up. The Brantmark family home is messy. It's shamefully messy. Organisation is neither Per nor my strong point. Someone is always tearing around the house looking for something they've lost (is it just me or are children particularly bad at finding things?). And it's embarrassing. Is there anyone out there who feels the same? 

The solution

This year everything's going to change! Why? Because I approached global Swedish storage experts Elfa - who happen to be based locally here in Malmö - and asked them to help me organise my home, room by room! And I hope, by sharing the knowledge and various solutions with you - you'll also pick up some great tips and tricks too. Unless of course, you've already got a wonderfully organised home - in which case, please do share your tips along the way! 

Who is Elfa? 

If you've been following My Scandinavian Home for a while, you'll most likely be familiar with Elfa already. Their fab storage systems pop up in homes I feature time and time again (take this, this, this and this!).  The Swedish company was founded in 1948 and prides itself on providing a sustainable, functional and high-quality storage system and doors for just about anything and anywhere in your home including the bedroom, children's room, living room, kitchen, garage, attic, hobby rooms, home office and laundry space. Think flexible shelving, drawers, hooks, baskets, dividers and more which will give even the tiniest and most awkward items a home. 

And they also offer planning help and great online tools. 

Most importantly, I love the Elfa ethos: it's not only about providing a perfect place for everything in your home, but also about creating more space for you, and making your home a better place to be. 

That's me sold! But where to start? 

Home Edit

The best way to get started, I learned,is to take stock of existing storage and 'problem areas' in the house. Have you noticed; some parts of the home feel way easier to keep tidy than others? It might be a load of small items collecting on a side table in the hallway, heaps of clothes in a corner or a cupboard stuffed to the brim with clobber.  

I pinpointed four areas in my home: my wardrobe (still in one of my girls rooms), Allie's bedroom (going from tween to teen!),  the laundry room (enter at your own peril), and the attic (don't get me started!). I'm looking forward to sharing my room by room plans, and all the details (including before and afters - no matter how embarrassing!) over the coming months. 

Do you have any specific places in your home? If so, I hope you'll enjoy the forthcoming series. 

Right, time to get planning, I've got a house to organise! Watch this space! 

Wishing you all a lovely weekend, 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Elfa. 

READ MORE...

10

Inspiring details from an interior stylist / photographer's home

Hey guys! It's Holly Marder here from Avenue Lifestyle, sending some inspiration to you from my home in Delft, the Netherlands. You have already seen my bedroom, which was featured here on My Scandinavian Home a while back, and while it remains my favourite room in the house for it's tranquil qualities and calming palette, I thought I'd stop by to share with you some snippets of my home I captured recently highlighting some of my favourite bits. I must be honest, we have been slowly renovating and decorating our home for just over two years now, and I get a little crazy thinking about all that I still want to do! I see a mental to-do list as long as my arm the minute I step inside, and sometimes forget to enjoy the lovely things we have done that do inspire me every day. Do you do that too?

 






Our kitchen is almost finished but some of my favourite details include my gorgeous wooden beaded pendant lamps by Australian designer Marz Designs made from walnut and oak (they were the first thing we bought for the house and remain a total favourite), marble countertops, brass display rails by Schoolhouse Electric and custom oak cabinetry by Koak Design (who designed this kitchen which I couldn’t stop thinking about).

 




My little vintage trolley, which I recently painted black, is also a new favourite. You can read more about it’s transformation HERE. Still love it so much and the difference it makes to our home, though a small addition. Sometimes we forget to celebrate the little things, don’t we?

 





This little wooden bench above in my living room is a new piece I recently bought for myself at The Fine Store by Japanese brand Karimoku New Standard, a little gift for my home after using it to style this bedroom for a client project recently. I love it simply styled in this little nook in the living room with piles of my favourite books and magazines all over it. So simple but inspiring none the less and so textural with the vintage Beni Ourain rug I brought back from my trip to Marrakech last year (find a similar one here).

I am a huge collector of art, mainly vintage pieces I adore hunting for, and I have created a gallery wall above our sofa. Vintage mixed in with modern pieces (in this image, the 'Eye Eye' poster from Fine Little Day and a print from Eeli-Ethel Polli) make me smile each and every day.

I hope this post inspired you to look more closely at thew details of your home which bring you joy and inspiration each day, to stop and enjoy them for what they are.

PS See a tour of my studio here.

PPS Niki will be back tomorrow with a truly inspiring home tour. Have a lovely day!

READ MORE...

7

Colour tips and Inspiration from a Danish Interior Stylist's Home

A new dawn, a new day... and a whole new month! Let's kick off with some colour! What struck me most about the Danish home of Charlotte Kruse is her home office - a hot topic these days, and this one is very inspiring indeed! But there are some other corners of her home I love too - not least because they include some wonderful pastel hues. I caught up with the interior stylist in Herning, central Denmark, to find out more about her home, sources of inspiration and favourite online stores. 

What do you do for a living? 

I have my own company Studio Decor where I style and take pictures for interior and lifestyle companies. And I also teach small business owners and instagrammers how to style beautiful pictures. 

Who do you live with? 

I live with my boyfriend and our two dogs (Pomeranians) in a small house. 

The arch was added last week - what a lovely addition, I love the soft feel it adds to the space. The white opal glass pendant* is by Louis Poulsen. 

Your house has lovely high ceilings, when was it built, and can you tell us more about the size and layout? 

Our house is from 1926. It's 87 m2 (935 f2) and we also have a workshop that's 27 m2 (290 f2). It consists of a kitchen, living room, dining room, a master bedroom and a second bedroom which I use as a study - it's where I run my business from. 

I love that your home is so colourful, can you tell us more about the tones in your home?

I absolutely love colour and use it as much as I can in my home. Colours make me happy and give the room a special feeling. I really like pastel colours, rose and other warm tones. I love to play around with colour, mix my own (the colour in the kitchen is a mix of leftover paint) and see how the rooms turn out. For the most part, I love the result - if I don't, I'll just try again!

Would you say it's unusual for a Dane to have lots of colour in their home? 

Over the past few years, colourful homes have become more and more popular in Denmark, especially on instagram! We want our homes to be as full of life and personality as we are! 

What colours have you applied to the walls in your home? 

Bedroom: Green Harmony from Jotun Lady

Kitchen: a home-made blend of NCS s2010-Y50R and NCS S3020-Y70R (I used a little more of the latter). 

Living room: Hummus from Jotun Lady

Do you have any tips for anyone looking to apply more colour to their home?

If you'd like to add more colour to your home, opt for toned down hues. They are softer and add a pleasant feeling to the room.

 

You have lots of art in your home, where do you. buy your prints? 

Most of my prints are from instagram collaborations - they are from Desenio and Juniqe. I also have bought some from Permild-Rosengreen and Little Detroit. 

Can you share three styling tips? 

1. Give your home a whole new feel by adding colour

2. Always be on the lookout for cool inter items in thrift stores or Facebook marketplace. You can buy a lot of unique items for a little less! 

3. Use plants and fresh flowers in your home. They bring joy to the room and create a nice atmosphere. 

The patchwork curtains seen above are taking the Danish interior world by storm right now. They are made in Denmark by Arvestykke. I also spy a little wooden stool* just like the ones I have by my bed and vases by Ljungby. 

What are your three favourite online shops? 

Luxo Living, Fabrek and Sakura Copenhagen. 

Where do you do you find inspiration?

I like these instagram, including these Danish accounts: @mariaharmuth, @christinedelmar, @trinesblend and @danicachloedk - but also look a lot on Pinterest! 

Thank you so much for telling us more about your home and sharing all your styling tips, shops and sources of inspiration! 

***

If you'd like to see more snapshots of Charlotte's home and find out about her courses, hop on over to @decorstudiodk or Decor Studio. 

For a total colour fest today, you might also like: 

A fabulous Danish home in a plethora of colours

Home tour: how to add colour the Danish way

Lessons to learn from a colourful yet calm Norwegian home

Do you use lots off colour in your home, or do you prefer neutral tones? I'd love to know!

I'll be back tomorrow with a tour of a wonderful home in Finland, watch this space! 

Niki

Styling and photography: Charlotte Kruse / Decor Studio

READ MORE...

2