A stunning home on an island outside Stockholm

Do you have a dream home in mind? Or perhaps you are lucky enough to already live in it? I like my home and there are some great things about a modern space - can you see the 'but' coming?! But I do dream of living in an old house one day. And in my mind it looks exactly like Mari Stregnheilm Nord's home in the Stockholm archipelago. Just in case you need a reminder, here are some more pictures of Mari's beautiful home captured by Lina Östling. Mari's home, which she shares with hr husband and two young children, has been renovated using a palette of white, grey and green and furnished with a beautiful mix of vintage and antique finds as well as items found on travels. Let's take a tour...

Photography: Lina Östling (shared with kind permission). Stylist and home-owner: Mari Strengheilm Nord. Found via The Style Files with thanks.

So beautiful don't you think?

I especially love the kitchen (the table and chairs!). Since this picture was taken Mari has renovated and it now looks like this (with the floor painted in S 2000-N from Nordsjö. I also like the curtain room divider - perfect way of stopping room to room drafts and also adding a touch of cosiness!

This 'how to paint diamonds on the floor' guide is really helpful to get the same effect on your hallway (or elsewhere in your home). 

Source beautiful vintage industrial pendant lights like the ones shown in Mari's home here.

Another space that falls into my dream home category is this artist's home in a former school - the light! Could you live here?!

What does your dream home look like?

Have a lovely day!

PS Lina has such a beautiful blog. 

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A Dutch Family Settle In A Charming House in the Forests of Värmland, Sweden

Some days I spend hours looking for homes - other days they simply pop up in my inbox (hooray!). Today is one of those lucky days. Photographer Chantal Bruienne-Buil emailed me these beautiful images of her home in Sunne, Värmland. Originally from The Netherlands, Chantal and her husband and their daughter emigrated to Sweden 14 months ago in pursuit of a quieter life surrounded by nature ("one of the best decisions ever").  After a period of time in Småland, the Dutch family were drawn to this early 20th century house in the middle of a forest in central-west Sweden. I caught up with Chantal to find out more about their move, transforming their house into a home and the inspiration behind their online print / poster shop Loveprinted.

What attracted you to the house?

While house hunting, we saw this 1909 build and felt immediately smitten by it. It's in the middle of a big forest with all the freedom and peace and quiet we were dreaming of. The perfect place for my husband, our five-year-old daughter and I! So of course, we put in a bid and the house was ours one week later!

Source similar vintage pendant lights on Etsy*, Stokke chair (green)*, Kitchen aid*

How did you turn the house into your home?

Never before has a house felt like home so quickly. I immediately knew what our home should look like. So, making decisions wasn't difficult at all. We love white and wood and natural colours you find in nature so we used these plus a touch of gold. Decorating our home has been a real treat and I love how it all turned out. It really suits our lifestyle. 

This moss green linen throw* is similar, Forget me not print, Reflection print

Tell us about your choice of wallpaper

I've been wanting to use lovely William Morris & Co. and Engblad & Co wallpapers for ages and now we had the perfect home for it. The funny thing was that we took down a wall in the living room and were surprised to find layers and layers of very old wallpaper and even some bits of newspaper dating back to 1912! 

What inspires your work as a photographer?

As a real nature lover, I like to be outdoors: to grill over an open fire, enjoy long walks with my family and capture the Swedish countryside on my camera. I wanted to share this - I mean if it makes me happy surely it must make other people happy as well, right?! That was why I started Loveprinted, an online poster webshop where we sell our nature photography and graphical prints. It's a place where I combine my passion for photography, graphic design and interior design.  

Moonphase print

Lagom print

Thank you so much to Chantal for sharing your lovely home with us! 

See more pictures of her lovely home on @movingslowly.se and @loveprinted

I'm really enjoying seeing wallpaper pop up more and more in Swedish homes (check out this archive  for a load of Scandinavian homes featuring beautiful wallpaper!). Could you imagine using wallpaper like this in your home?

Ha det så fint!

Niki

Photography by Chantal Bruienne-Buil (with a little colour re-touch by me!)

Affiliate links marked with *

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A Scandi-inspired Urban Oasis

Hallo (limited German ends there...)! I'm excited to be sharing a tour of the lovely home of Maria in North West Germany today. Maria was born in Sweden, and still feels inspired by Scandinavian style, evidence of which can be seen in her apartment which she shares with her husband and two Jack Russell terriers. Her home had me at the hallway - which is flooded with light from the double glass front door. Imagine coming home to this each day?! In the blog survey, many asked to see more 'real' homes, and Maria's struck me as this. There's something so personal and relaxed about it - and the entire space benefits from the most beautiful light. Enjoy the tour!

 Qatmer kilim rug, Button hooks from HK Living,  French basket bag (so pretty!)

There's something about large, spacious hallways that make a great impact when you walk through the door.

I love Maria's mid-century bureau and it's ideal for narrow spaces too. The mirror above it is from IKEA (and ideal for leaving your lippy / keys etc on!). The accent wall has been painted in Farrow & Ball.

Hay Copenhague table, Kartell Masters Chair, About A Chair, Ripple Curves Pendant lights.

 Over-sized Hektar pendant from IKEA. 

Did you get a warm feel from this space too?

How I'd love to have this much light in my home (it's the one thing we're quite short of in ours and I do miss it - especially in the winter!).

Is there anything that stood out to you?

Check out more shots from Maria's home here

Get The Look

1. qatmer kilim "ser"
2. Copenhague Table CPH30
3. Ripples Curve Pendant Light
4. STOCKHOLM mirror
5. About A Chair
6. Kartell- Masters Chair
7.  French basket
8. HK Living hooks

Looking for a little more interior inspiration for the weekend? You might also like this mid-century inspired space in Berlin, a relaxed home with fabulous splashes of colour and snapshots from the dreamy house of a ceramicist.

Any fun plans for the weelend?! I've got a a bit of an office revamp going on at home which I'm looking to finish up (so wild these days...!). I hope it all works out so I can share the before and after next week (watch this space!). I might just have to treat myself to some drinks in the sun too... do you have any fun plans?

Have a great couple of days and see you Monday!

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Viktoria's Swedish Home with Pretty DIY Festive Touches

Today, we're going on a journey up North to the cosy home of Viktoria Holmgren in Umeå. Sweden. Viktoria is a dab hand at DIY and there are so many lovely creative ideas around her home at Christmas time. Wreaths, stars, bouquets and small embellishments all feature in each room of the house, making it a warm, inviting and 'mysigt' place to be, even when it's cold outside. Let's take a look! 

At Christmas time, Swedes love to go all out, even swapping normal pendant lights for wreaths or stars like this one by Watt & Veke. 

A sidetable in the kitchen has been transformed into a festive bar with glasses and plates at the ready! My Mum does this too in her house in London and it creates such a lovely vibe - like there could be a party any minute! I do love a home bar, how about you? 

There's something special about vintage glasses like these. I have set from the 1930s at home. 

Viktoria has made candleholder embellishments out of metal leaves to enhance her usual candlestick holders at Christmas - such a lovely idea! 

Wreath making is on the cards year round in Viktoria's home. In December boxwood or eucalyptus are the preferred material! 

A simple bouquet of eucalyptus hangs in the study. It would be equally nice placed in the shower to allow the steam to release the aroma - a perfect way to freshen up in winter! 

I love these little mini Christmas trees - they are so simple and take up next to no space. Look at the little mice too! 

Stars and amaryllis add a wintery touch to the bedroom while the snow comes down outside. 

Lovely!

I'm feeling especially inspired about the metal work - and making small embellishments to add to existing items to give them a small Christmassy touch - so clever! 

Is there anything that stood out to you?

See more of Viktoria's ideas and pictures from her lovely home in Umeå here. 

It's dawned on my that there aren't that many posts left here on My Scandinavian Home before the holidays. Is there anything in particular you would like to see? Perhaps Scandinavian Christmas tree round-ups, gift wrapping ideas, party table settings, DIY decorations or other festive decorating inspiration? It's also dawned on me that I haven't showed the full tour of my cabin yet, so perhaps that could also be of interest? Please do let me know your thoughts and ideas below! 

Oh, and another thing, sorry for the mix up with the links in Mondays newsletter. I can only put it down to the fact that it was, well, Monday! Gaaah! If you would like to receive each post directly to your inbox, do sign up at the bottom of the page - and I promise to try to be better with the links! 

Happy Wednesday friends! 

Niki

Photography: Viktoria Holmgren

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All Things Bright & Beautiful in a Pared Back Family Home

I am so in love with today's home tour. Nestled in the jungle, but still a short distance from Singapore's popular shopping and dining precincts, the black and white colonial house was built in 1935 for an Officer of the British Army. Today the beautiful property is leased by Charlie Cameron, the creative behind interior and lifestyle blog Lottie Is Loving, her British husband, two children Finn and Pippa and their mini schnauzer Jet. Originally from Australia, Charlie has decorated the home with a fusion of Australian and Scandinavian style which includes lashings of fresh white, touches of rattan and pastel accents. The result is an incredible, light and airy relaxed family home.

 "My upstairs cup of tea / reading spot. When you’re not looking down at your book - all you see are trees and jungle. It’s my favourite room in the house."

The bamboo pendant light steals the show in the sitting room (this one is similar) and the Palm in the corner bridges the gap between the soft furnishings and pendant - while adding a little colour and drawing the jungle inside.

 "Over the years I have developed a less is more approach to styling.  I am drawn to a contemporary Australian aesthetic but I am influenced by a combination of styles and have a soft spot for Scandinavian design and Moroccan flair." 

The Swedish string shelving system has been used in replace of a windowsill and melts into the back ground. But my favourite piece has to be the pink Moroccan rug - how pretty is that? Happytapis sells similar (just saying!).

A white hanging chair, leather pouf and Rubber plant have been used to create the perfect reading corner! Having said that, we used to have a hanging bubble chair in our sitting room and these things are a total kids magnet!

Love this Mark Tuckey Stool from Australia - a new favourite of mine! 

"For me, it all comes down to pieces that I love and finding a balance between styles - a little masculine with a balance of feminine."  

 

I can't get enough of these rattan hallway benches right now, how about you? There are plenty in the shops right now (this one is from Elements Concept in Singapore) but I've got my eye on some of the one-off vintage ones too, like this fabulous mid-century modern love seat. Keep an eye on Etsy, Gumtree and Ebay for similar!

"There is something to be said for beautifully crafted well designed pieces and I prefer to practice patience and wait for the right piece than to quickly buy something to fill a space and then regret it.  I really believe that creating a beautifully styled home takes time."

 

The soft pink accent seen in the rest of the house is carried through to the bedroom using cushions and art. In the guest room (below) 'The King of Potreus' flower adds a hint of soft pastel.

And finally, Pip's room is as pretty as can be - with One Fun Day wallpaper and fairy lights.

Photography © Charlie Cameron / Lottie is Loving

The rooms are fairly spacious, yet Charlie has exercised a huge amount of restraint, giving each item plenty of breathing space. If you'd love to re-create this style in your home but not sure where to start, here are a few tips and tricks:

***

Charlie's Tips for Creating a Pared Back Style

1. Use Negative Space

Leaving areas of your home free of design actually helps to draw your eye to the elements that are most interesting in a room.  Cleverly used, negative space can help a room to feel deliberate and well styled.

2. Think in Tones

A base of whites and greys can always be added to with a bright pop of colour - so keep things neutral and harmonious and choose a small amount of colour to add to your scheme.

3. Remove the Clutter

Have a small room or area of your home (that is preferably hidden) where all the everyday items of life with a family can live.  Regularly clear the clutter from the day and if you have kids, get them in the habit of clearing all their items away at the end of each day.

***

You can see more of Charlie's home over on her Instagram feed and blog (where she also shares recipes and other lifestyle inspiration).

Other bright and beautiful family homes you might be interested in: a lovely Dutch family home, a striking and relaxed Swedish family home and a light-filled Swedish home.

Have a lovely day!

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