Mindful Decorating: Tips and A Tour of a Cosy Swedish Home in Holland

This grey, rainy Tuesday in Malmö calls for a day indoors - preferably in 'mysbyxor' (comfy track pants) and some very chunky knit socks (although these days I swear by my Swedish Shephard slippers!). Slightly further South, founder of Hemma Interiors Matilda Kristoffersson, a Swede living in Amersfoort, The Netherlands is cosying up at home with her Dutch husband Thijs and their three children Luuk (2.5 years) and newborn twins Joep and Lill. Matilda is an interior stylist who prides herself on a 'feeling first' approach. The mindful home has become a hot topic in recent times, especially as we find ourselves spending a copious amount of time indoors. I caught up with Matilda to find out a more about what it means and garner a few tips. 

Can you tell us a little about your house? 

We live in a terraced house measuring 135 square meters, divided over three floors. On the ground floor, we have our kitchen, dining, and living room as one open space with warm oak floors throughout. On the first floor we have our bedroom, family bathroom and our children's bedrooms  (Joep and Lill share a room). On the third floor, we have an attic space with high ceilings which serves as my workspace as well as a guest room for when my family comes over from Sweden. Both the first and second floor has white stained pine wood floors. I am very traditional Swedish in that I love white walls and light wooden floors. The house is situated on a quiet street in a newly built area with a canal just in front which we can see from our large windows in the kitchen and our bedroom. It is a great place for children to grow up and our son often plays with his friends out on the street in front of our house. 

How has being Scandinavian influenced your style and work? 

Being Swedish I think home is something really important. It gets pretty dark and cold during a big part of the year, so we tend to spend a lot of time in our homes, and that of our friends. I am very passionate about helping and inspiring others to create a home that truly makes them feel good and “at home” via my company Hemma Interiors (hemma means "home" in Swedish). I do this via my Instagram, my Online Course in Mindful Interior, and a new Guided Room Meditation that I am about to release. 

That sound really exciting, I'll be keeping a look out for your course! How has your interest in mindfulness and your Swedish background contributed to your home decorating? 

I take a mindful and “feeling first”  approach to how I decorate our home. This means that I think about how I want to feel in a space, and then connect this to design and style choices. So there is quite a mix of styles in our home with a more rustic kitchen, minimalistic bedroom, eclectic and classic look in the living room. But our entire home is still very Scandinavian I would say. In order to have a peaceful flow in the house, each space still has a similar color palette and materials; I’m very traditional Swedish in that I love a white wall and natural wood. We buy most of our furniture second hand as I believe that it is the best for our environment and it gives a very personal feeling to a home. I also buy a lot from IKEA (also second hand often) which I hack and upgrade to make my own. This really gives an outlet for my creativity.

Mindful decorating has become a big topic lately, can you tell us more about it?

When people hear I combine mindfulness and interior, they assume that it must mean minimalism and light colors, kind of like walking into a yoga studio. But in reality, a mindful interior does not necessarily mean that it looks in a certain type of way, but rather it is about the power of really tuning into our own personal style and focusing on how you really want to feel in your home, rather than how it looks from an outside perspective. Something I call “Feeling First” interior.

I think how we feel in our homes have become even more important over the last few months as we spend so much time in them now. Our homes are, and can be, so much more than just a place where we eat, sleep and watch TV. It is truly a space that we can use to relax, spend loving time with family and friends, and fully be ourselves in. 

  

How does mindful decorating differ from the usual way you might approach decorating a home? 

Decorating your home in a mindful way, 'Feeling First' instead of 'Design First', flips around the traditional decorating and interior process. You start off by exploring how you want to feel in your home, and then think about what type of colors, materials, designs and styles fit with this feeling. It is about starting from who you are and realizing your own personal style in your home, rather than trying to recreate that of someone else. And by doing so, empowering yourself to be and show who you really are in your home. Because if we are not able to celebrate our true selves in our own homes, then where else?

Do you have any tips for anyone looking to try a mindful approach to decorating? 

To me, the core of mindfulness is to embrace what is and be grateful for what you have in the now - because at the end of the day that is all we ever have - this moment now. By embracing what our homes are right now we can decorate from a place of gratitude and start to truly connect to how we want to live in them. I believe that we all have something that I call “Interior Intuition”, a sort of powerful guiding gut feeling of how we want our homes to look and feel. The trick is just to learn how to connect to it, and trust it. 

Here are three tips to get your started: 

1. Dare to listen to, and trust, your own interior intuition
2. Start with gratitude. Embrace what is already there rather than get caught up in the things you don’t like 
3. Think about how you want to feel in your space rather than how you want it to look

***

Thank you so much to Matilda for sharing her home tour and mindful interior tips. Oh - and a big congratulations are in order on little Joep and Lill! 

You can find out more about Matilda's online courses here.

I hope you found this topic as interesting as I did - do share your thoughts below, I'd love to hear them! 

Niki

Photography: Matilda Kristofferson 

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My home - bedroom tour

I've been meaning to finish my bedroom for ages.  I finally found the opportunity on a recent collaboration with the fab family run Danish homeware shop Nordal - who made it possible to add the final touches for Autumn - including a much needed rug, as well as a cosy quilt and beautiful bench. Our bedroom takes up the top floor of our house (some feel a big room is un-cosy, do you?) it's a very personal thing but I love to have lots of space around me, and even open the balcony door while I'm sleeping for extra measure! Having said that, I feel a bedroom should be calm. Somewhere you can relax and switch off from the stresses and strains of daily life. And as the cold weather starts to set in here in Sweden - cosy too! That's why I've stuck to neutral shades and layers of soft textiles in natural materials such as cotton, rattan, sheepskin and linen! Here's the reveal, I hope you like it!

Photography: Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home. Styling Genevieve Jorn.

What do you think?

I have to say, it really has become my little oasis. Looking at this now, I might just head back to bedfor the day.....Zzzzzzz!

Here's a guide to where I found some of the items:

1. RAW bench (I'd recommend the larger one if you have a double bed) 2. Quilt - black and cream stripes  3. Sheepkin throw 4. DOME lamp 5. sheepskin cushion 6. Round glass bottle 7. ESSENCE carpet (rug).

If you're wondering about anything else in my bedroom ask away in the comment section below and I'll be happy to point you in the right direction!

Have a lovely day!

This post was brought to you in collaboration with Nordal. I only ever work with brands I love and think you will to. Thank you for supporting the businesses which make My Scandinavian Home possible.

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My New Home Yoga Studio / Corner!

Kindly sponsored by Sponsored by Nordal (all words, photos and product choices are my own)*:

Hej hej! Are you ready for the week ahead? The girls went back to school this morning (I can't tell you how hard it was for us all to wake up!), which officially marks the end of our carefree summer holiday - and the return to what will no doubt be a crazy Autumn. Eeek! This season, I've decided to do things a little differently. I've always been one of those people who loves to run around at a hundred miles an hour (my preferred choice of sport has always been tennis and jogging) - how about you? But due to unforeseen circumstances back home in London (more to follow soon when I feel ready), I've decided to take care of myself more in the coming months - take some time out here and there and slow down. 

I've been meaning to start yoga for several years and I finally took the leap a few weeks back - turning to my dear friend Sarah Brooks-Wilson (who's been practising yoga for years) for advice. Sarah helped me pick out these fine specimens from Danish brand - Nordal (co-owner Signe Nordal runs a yoga and Ayurveda studio called Simple Days in Sondrup, Denmark and developed this wonderful collection for Nordal as a result). And we spent a few days transforming a disused corner of Per's and my bedroom into a mini yoga studio! 

I promise I won't be sharing any pictures of my Downward-facing Dog pose just yet (trust me, it's not something you'd want to see!) - but I thought you might like to see some pictures of my yoga area, just in case you're looking for inspiration!

I've always loved this corner of our bedroom. It's flooded with natural light and since it's on the top floor - very calm. In the past it's been used as everything from a home workspace to more recently, a dumping ground for all kinds of things - big and small. It feels great to finally make use of it again!

As with the rest of my home, I was keen to stick to natural materials - selecting pieces in wood, cork, rattan and cotton - as well as ensuring beautifully soft fabrics and a clutter-free look in order to be able to really switch off! 

The yoga items include a cork mat, cotton belt and super soft blanket, cork blocks as well as a water flask (this one is GIANT and my whole family loves it, to be fair it could suffice for all of us on an outing - but so far, I've managed to hold onto it up here, let's see how long it lasts). And the large bolster is also super helpful. 

The screen is also from Nordal - I've had it a few years now (you might remember it from this post). 

To get me started, Sarah has recommended several apps including Downdog (her favourite), Asana Rebel,  and Daily Yoga. 

The relaxation / Shavasana at the end (using a YIN yoga mattress and a meditation bolster) has become one of my favourite parts of the routine, it makes me feel so wonderfully calm and also leaves me feeling centred and balanced the rest of the day. Just what I need right now!  

Sidenote: how unbelievably soft and comfortable is yoga wear? I'm SO going to be wearing this kit around the house, I might stop short at going to the shops in it for now, no matter how tempting!).

Honestly, before this, I'd only ever heard of a yoga mat! Thank you so much to Sarah and Nordal for helping me to create my studio. It's a perfect place for some respite during these crazy times. I'm looking forward to my Autumn routine already! 

Oh, and I came up over the weekend to find Liv and Allie doing yoga here, it really warmed my heart! Maybe Per will be in on the act too soon - although, that remains to be seen! 

I'd love to hear from any yoga fans out there - any tips for some great apps / online classes? I'm only just finding my feet so all thoughts welcome. 

As always, do let me know if you have any questions about any of these items / this corner of my home! 

In the meantime, if anyone's looking for me, I'lll be right here. 

Niki

*This is a paid partnership with Nordal. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too. Thank you for supporting the wonderful businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible.

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A Serene Swedish Home In A Berlin Rental

I seem to have fallen into a phase of featuring homes of expat Scandinavians right now - and based on the messages in my inbox, I'm not the only one feeling inspired by them. So, today I thought I'd share the home of a Swede living in Berlin! Ellinor Belvén was born and raised on the island of Kungsholmen in the centre of Stockholm. Ellinor moved to Berlin around 8 years ago and founded SALTY Interiors with her friend Annetta in 2016. I caught up with her to find out more about her home, her journey to becoming an interior designer and how living abroad has influenced her style. Welcome to Ellinor's world! 

Have you always wanted to be an interior designer?

Ever since I was a child, I was exposed to art and music. I started singing in a choir at the age of 6 and continued my journey in music schools all the way up to high school. In addition to the music, I had lots of interaction with architecture and interior styling, as family members were working in the field. Leaving the music path however, I started a new journey into the business administration field with my University degree (Master's in Business Administration & Economics). I worked a few years with numbers, but soon felt a great need of surrounding myself in a creative atmosphere again. And so, after moving to Berlin, I was able to combine my financial skills with the creative, and I worked as a buyer in the e-commerce interior market. This opened up new possibilities, and in 2016 I quit my day job and created SALTY Interiors with my friend Annetta. We have been running our SALTY business for 4 years now and are really happy to see the success we’ve achieved. All those long hard hours are so worth it!

Can you tell us a little more about SALTY Interiors?

SALTY Interiors is a creative agency specialised in interior architecture and visual content creation. We work closely with private clients, interior brands as well as real estate agencies to provide expertise in every work field. We are passionate about creating comfortable and beautiful spaces, working with natural and sustainable materials, as well as keeping the aesthetics light with a minimalistic warm touch. Annetta & Ellinor; both coming from Nordic countries (Iceland & Sweden), we were raised surrounded by design and a general understanding about form and interior style. With a background in interior sourcing & buying we started our business in 2016 and since then we have combined our strength in buying and our desire to create. We look at each project like an empty canvas and an opportunity to create something unique.  

Your home is beautiful, when was it built?

I moved into this beautiful “Altbau-wohnung” (the name in German), which is a house built sometime before the 1930’s. It has the typical “Altbau-features” like high ceiling (approx 3.30m), stucco and ornamented double doors between the two big connected rooms. It’s a 2 room + kitchen apartment, which measures around 75 sqm.

  

Söderhamn sofa with a loose fit Bemz Brera linen cover*

How did you approach the interior? 

Since it’s a rental flat, I didn't want to put in too much money into renovation, so I simply did what I could with a small budget. That meant a lot of time spent painting walls! In the two big rooms (living room and bedroom) I have painted the walls in 4 colours, all very different, but still coherent with one another. In the living room I have warm grey on three walls and deep forest green on one wall, and in the bedroom three walls of beige, and one wall of dusty pink. Since the rooms are connected with the double doors, it was important that the colours fit together, in any way you turn your head.

Would you say your style is still very much Scandinavian or have you been influenced by German / Berlin style? 

I would say my style is very Scandinavian. The one element that I love about the German/Berliner mindset however, is that people would prefer to give away old furniture than throw it away, which means that there is furniture on the street (“Zu Verschenken” - to give away) everywhere. I have several pieces of furniture in my flat that I found this way, my kitchen table and bed headboard for example.

Table from Nor11, sculpture by Kristiina, Cooee 'pastille' vase

Despite being fairly minimalist, your home still looks lovely and cosy, how did you achieve this? 

It’s very important to me that my home feels cosy and inviting. I want to be able to relax and feel at ease, and safe in my space. I work a lot with coherent colourways (as already mentioned) and a lot of textiles make any room feel more comfortable. I also love plants and have lots of them on every windowsill and on every table. 

Where do you shop for pieces for your home?

I use a lot of different sources for my interior pieces, either it’s brands that I work with, old furniture that I brought from Sweden when I moved, or I find furniture on the streets of Berlin. But of course, I have my fair share of IKEA furniture too. The trick is to mix old and new and make it your own style. 

And finally, can you share your favourite interior instagrams with us? 

@studioilse_ @swantjeundfrieda @sofia_wood @lottaagatoninteriors

What a lovely, calm home! 

I love the idea of finding items out on the street - they leave pieces out like that in Copenhagen too, but sadly not in Malmö. Do they do this in your city? It must save so much hassle - and also reinforces the idea that one man's trash is another man's treasure! 

Got a mo? See more pictures of Ellinor's home on the SALTY Interiors instagram feed and the latest swoon-worthy projects by SALTY Interiors here. 

Other beautiful Berlin homes:

An inviting Berlin flat decorated on a budget

The beautiful Berlin flat and country home of Our Food Stories

Get the look from a serene family home

Have a great day - halfway there folks! Wooop! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of SALTY Interiors

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My home captured by Karin: dressing room

As promised, today I'm introducing the first in a mini weekly series called 'my home captured by Karin'. While we were away recently my photographer friend Karin Björklund (who also took my profile picture) spent the day in our home and took lots of lovely pictures. It's fascinating to see how someone else sees your home. I call this room 'my dressing room' since this is where I have my dressing table, keep all my clothes and like to swan about, wafting perfume, reading magazines and generally acting like the movie star I am not! But the rest of my family call it the guest room or TV room....:)

Karin Björklund for My Scandinavian Home

As a guest room it looks like this (it used to be our bedroom). One day the floor will be white.....

Eeek, what do you think? Do you have a versatile room like this in your home?

Here's a bit of a guide on where things are from: wallpaper - Designers Guild, Around Coffee Table - Muuto,  Finnish hemp textile cushion - Saaana ja Olli, mirror - Graham & Green, perfume and apothecary bottles - vintage, tribal gold necklace -Whistles.

For more sitting room inspiration check out these lovely rooms and for dressing room inspiration you could try my Pinterest board here. 

PS Merci Beaucoup to Clémence who listed my scandinavian home in your top 5 interior design blogs on Tuesday in Paulette Magazine, such an honour!

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Theo's Charming, Bohemian-style Abode in Berlin

We've had quite a few pared-back homes on the blog this week so it's definitely time to shake things up a little, don't you think? Plus it's Friday - woohoo! So, today I'm bringing you the charming, boho home of Theo Melnik. Theo lives in Berlin with her boyfriend, herd of cats, countless plants and some very fine second-hand finds. Here's Theo to tell you a little more about her delightful abode in her own words...

Where is your apartment? 
It's in Berlin, in Neukölln actually :)

What do you do work-wise?
I am a copywriter / content creator. Essentially, I really love writing and taking pictures, and basically that is what I do for a hobby and also for my job #bestlife

You do indeed! Can you describe the layout of your apartment a little?
We have one bedroom, a living room, kitchen, bathroom, balcony, and a pantry.

What's your decorating philosophy?
I always look at materials. I like 'real' materials like wood, brass, marble and things like that. However, that doesn't mean it always needs to be expensive. For example, we've just built a kitchen surface using OSB and I totally love it. I just don't like it when materials pretend to be something they're not (like plastic veneers for example). Other than that I love mixing old and new (with probably more old stuff). I also love design classics, but ideally used ones, from their original time period. "

How do you select pieces for your home?
Honestly, sometimes I think items pick me. I often just spend hours on ebay searching for materials (or particular finishings) I like at the moment and then see what comes my way. I've found many of my favourite pieces that way.

Do you have a favourite room? 
That's a hard one. I love them all. I guess whichever is the tidiest at any given moment? Right now I probably like the kitchen best but I am planning a semi-major bedroom update soon (which my boyfriend doesn't know about yet....) which I hope to share soon. So my favourite room might change in the near future ;) 

And do you have a favourite piece?
Oh wow, that's even harder! It's probably very silly but I absolutely love my cutlery - I got two vintage brass sets and adore both (though one of them is still my absolute favourite). We also just got a dishwasher and it's a game changer. Oh and the mirror in the bedroom and the kitchen table (which I bought respectively for 1€ and 1,50€ on ebay, which is incredible).

Ha! That's four pieces - but we'll forgive you, as your home is full of beautiful treasures so we'd find it hard to pick one too!

Thank you so much for the tour and telling us a little more about your home!

Theo shares daily snapshots of her home over on instagram.

And if you're looking for more beautiful, relaxed boho home tours this sunny weekend why not take a peek at a relaxed boho family home in Florida, the wonderfully relaxed, bohemian home of Carley Summers and the boho home of Paloma Lanna.

Have a fabulous weekend all!

PS 5 ways to add the Swedish love of balance into your life.


Photography: Theodore Melnik shared with kind permission. 

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