A Cool, Grey, Cream and White Swedish Space

It's the hottest day of the year here - it's absolutely baking! While it's bliss splashing about in the cool, blue waters of the Öresund, sadly the heat is causing devastating forest fires across the country and Sweden has had to draft in the help of neighbouring countries to help extinguish the blaze. In certain areas locals have been lining the roads to cheer on the convoys of firefighters as they arrive - it's really heartwarming! Rain is on the forecast for this weekend too - phew! Meanwhile,  I'd quite happily hang out in this shaded apartment, with it's cool, calm colours for a few hours today. The space belongs to Swedish interior designer and stylist extraordinaire Hanna Ahlin - and it's a wonderful combination of soft white, cream and striking dark grey. Look out for her cute dog licking his chops! 

// affilliate links marked with *//

The gallery wall looks amazing against a dark grey wall. Hanna has stuck to a black, white and cream scheme for the gallery. I paticularly love the Nude 02 by Ekaterina Koroleva*.

I love this Elfa shelving / desk combination in the bedroom - it's such a great way to turn a wall in a narrow spot into a home office!

The linen curtains seen above in the bedroom have been chosen to match the wall colour and offer a perfect way to create storage and hide a lot of things! I've actually been thinking of doing this in our hallway since we always have so much clobber. It would be great to just pull a curtain across the whole lot and pretend none of it's there!!

I usually buy my linen curtains made to measure from this Etsy shop - and I see they sell dark grey linen drapes* just like these ones!

There's a lot to be said for cool greys when the mercury rises outside- don't you think?

Stay cool friends!

Niki

Photography Hanna Ahlin / Alen Cordic.

READ MORE...

4

Ordinary attic to a fab work studio in Holland

Do you see work as a necessary evil or hop out of bed like the joys of spring on a Monday morning (actually, does that person actually exist - I mean on a Tuesday yes, but a Monday?!). Either way, most of us have to put our heads to the grindstone for quite a few hours each week - so we may as well make it a happy place!  It was in this vain I decided to share the home studio of (the very lovely) Holly Marder from Avenue Lifestyle blog in The Haague. Holly recently transformed an ordinary attic room into a flexible, mutli-functional and inspiring modern space where she can sit and work and meet clients. Oh and did I mention it's packed full of Dutch and Scandinavian pieces, vintage finds and the odd French masterpiece?

All photography / design / styling: Holly Marder. Shared with kind permission.

It's really not surprising that Holly has created such a fab space, that girl is sooo talented (see her recent bedroom make-over here, and some of the homes she's styled here, here and here)! Even so it's incredible what you can do with an attic room....I might just have to set up a meeting so I can go and hang out there for a day or two...

Is this your kind of studio?

Tips on where items are from: wooden push pins (moodboard) / vintage persian rug / Natural rug / Iumi Steckdesign pendant light / IKEA Docksta table / side cabinet is BESTA from IKEA which has been souped up with doors, brass handles and top from Superfront / Buy similar hanging planters here (20% discount with code MSH20 right now) / Isaac plug-in Sconce task light in brass / Nude study oil on canvas (Henri Matisse) / ALEX desk storage.

Take a peek at the complete before and after. 

More lovely studios / work spaces include this industrial warehouse, a Danish / Norwegian space and and a entire moodboard here. And for the kids - I love this cute black and white creative corner.

Have a lovely day!

PS back by popular demand - the archive labels (to the left), I've realised over the past three years I've posted over 1200 home tours!! Crazy! 

PPS Thank you so much to Elegance magazine who listed me in their top ten favourite European design blogs!! Such an honour!

READ MORE...

8

An Idyllic Swedish Summer Cottage That Dreams Are Made Of!

Say the words 'Swedish summer cottage' and I immediately conjure up a picture of a little red and white cottage surrounded by lush, vibrant nature and somewhere to bathe a short "nakenfis" (I love this Swedish word - it literally translates as 'naked fart' but it's generally used to describe being nude!)  sprint away!! In fact, this idyllic croft in a village near Tierp an hour or so North of Stockholm is spot on! Dating back to 1909, the croft is made up of a main house and a series of little outhouses which wouldn't look out of place in Astrid Lindgren's 'Children of Noisy Village'. Step inside and you're greeted with white wood panelled walls, pretty wallpaper and painted wood floors. The furnishings are typically understated and a perfect blend of vintage and antique pieces. Ready for a little Swedish summer dreaming? 

Oh wow. This has me dreaming of 24 hour sunshine, morning dips and long, lazy lunches alfresco! 

Could you image wiling away a lazy summer here?

This is where I say - "well, it could be yours..." - and it was actually on the market for a very reasonable 750,000 SEK (€70k / $76k) via Länsförsäkringar (try pronouncing that!) but as you can  imagine, it was snapped up immediately! 

Up for a little more Scandinavian summer cottage dreaming? Pull up a chair and enjoy:

A photographer's charming summer cottage in the woods (absolutely love this!) 

A cosy rural cottage in North Sweden

An idyllic hideaway on the island of Dalarö

Actually, do you know what? I think I'll just share the link to the entire archive - there are hundreds of charming summer cottages in there from all across Scandinavia. And since it's a public holiday here tomorrow I hope it will tie you over until I return on Monday! 

Wishing you a wonderful long weekend friends - stay safe, stay well! 

Niki

Photography: Johan Fornstedt / Husfoto

READ MORE...

8

Monochrome and nude scheme in a lovely Scottish home

I hope you had a great weekend? Or still enjoying your long weekend if you're in the US - not jealous at all...honest!). Today I thought I'd take you on a tour of Deborah's lovely house in Glasgow, Scotland. Deborah's an interior designer and visual merchandiser / stylist (which explains why her home is so lovely) and editor behind fab blog Ollie & Seb's Haus .  She shares her home with her husband and two little boys Oliver and Sebastien (I once showed their bedroom here). If you love monochrome with a soft palette of nudes and creams, you're in for a real treat. And even if you don't, there are plenty of ideas to steal anyway! Here are some of my favourite snapshots of her home...

 

Photography: Ollie & Seb's Haus 

What do you think? Anything that catches your eye?

I spy some of my favourite pieces: Kristina Dam Palm 1 print, Design House Stockholm work lamp, Thonet 209 chair, Diamond cage light, Faux Poster Collection - A, Grey throw, linen bedding and Mathilda Clahr leather strap.

I went to the University of Edinburgh so it's been a pleasure going on a virtual tour back to Scotland today! I remember our student pad was painted in vivid colours such as deep reds, blues and yellow, with each room a different hue. Very different from today's home tour -  but beautiful its own way.

More black and white spaces here, here and here. Or if you prefer a space in a riot of colours how about this bright home of an artist?

Have a lovely day!

PS Thank you for entering the Nest.co.uk give-away over the weekend. The competition closed at midnight and the winner will be announced on the give-away post and sent an e-mail later today. 

READ MORE...

9

A Frisian stolp farm becomes a beautiful home

Hello! I hope you're having a great start to the week? Thank you so much to Johanne for the guest post yesterday - doesn't she have a fab home? We're heading up to the hill-country village of Ella here in Sri Lanka later today and hoping to visit some tea plantations - as a Brit the prospect of being surrounded by tea all afternoon sounds like heaven! It's also a far cry from the flat lands of North Holland, which is beautiful in a different kind of way. And the owners of this Dutch residence, Rixt and Arjan have found their own beautiful spot close to the sea in Frisian Hemelum.  The duo were living in Curacao when they took the big step to buy a stolp farm along with vestibule and convert it into two unique places to stay. The spaces have been decorated with vintage pieces found on the internet and a mix of materials such as wool, cotton, felt, glass, marble, stone, and wood for a warm and relaxed, homely feel. Enjoy!

Styling: Sabine Burkunk. Photography: Hans Mossel, shared with kind permission. VT Wonen Aug 2015. 

I think I'm in home heaven! This is exactly my kind of style. Personal, relaxed and brimming with personality. 

What do you think?

Get the look: Source beautiful kilim rugs here, I love these vintage school charts, this 50's rattan plant holder is similar (there's only one though.....). Palma lounge chair. This hand blown demi-john wine bottle is similar. Round rush floor mat. 

You can see more pics of these two lovely spaces over at VT Wonen here. 

I always get really excited by the homes photographer Hans Mossel and Sabine Burkunk capture- they're often relaxed and cheerful and always unique. Another example includes this quirky home. Fab colours!  

Other links I love today: 

Thank you Valentina Fussell for this review of my book - her photographs (as always) are stunning and I wish I could look that glam reading my book! I was also thrilled to see this piece about Modern Pastoral in Architectural Digest too! 

37 outfits that are so New York (but wouldn't look out of place in Sweden either....).

A serene white and brown living room in Copenhagen.

An office in nudes (no, not that kind of nude!).

How about these yummy looking mini pavlova's for pudding (or, just whenever really - one every hour?!) this week....?

Finnish designs for the little ones.

Have a lovely day! 

PS If you've taken any photos of your copy of Modern Pastoral I'd love to see / share them! 

READ MORE...

1