The Timeless Danish Home of A Jewellery Designer & Vintage Furniture Collector

Oh yay - I do believe it's Friday! Finally! Do you have fun plans?! We're heading up to the west coast to work on a new renovation which I'm so excited about - but of course, not really relaxing (all will be revealed next Sunday!). Before we all shoot off for the weekend, I wanted to share one final home tour. And it's a beauty! Welcome to the Copenhagen home of Anders Forup, a jewellery designer and vintage furniture dealer, his partner Nina and their adorable babba (*kiss those cheeks*!). Needless to say, the home is teeming with incredible Scandinavian design classics including the Arne Jacobsen Ant chair, Hans J Wegner Peacock Chair and the Skultuna Lily candlestick holder* to name but a few. The furniture, art, and lighting shine against a backdrop of white and soft, mid-blue (when I said this shade was set to big, I wasn't kidding!). Nora and Laura of Our Food Stories paid a visit and snapped these lovely pictures.

Oj oj oj (as they say in Sweden) this space is beautiful! I am so in love with the blue shade in the bedroom - possibly my favourite room in the house (but it was a narrow squeak - the whole house is pretty fabulous!). 

It's also one of those spaces which feels timeless - it could look like this in 10-20 years and still feel current. I guess, that's the beauty of classic furniture (especially Scandinavian pieces which were designed to withstand the test of time), don't you think?

Did anything stand out to you? 

In case you'd love a little more Danish inspiration for the weekend (or planning on. visiting Copenhagen anytime soon), Anders shared these tips:

Anders Forup's Top Five

Latest read: Finn Juhl - Life, Work, World

Favourite design shops: Cinnober Book shop and Gallery & Thiemers magasin

Favourite music: Madeleine Peyroux 

Three things to do in Copenhagen: Design Museum Denmark, Louisiana and Little Bakery on Holmen

Favourite instagram accounts: @bendtsens and @auktionstipset

Read the full interview over at Our Food Stories here. 

I'll love you and leave you (BTW my Swedish husband thinks this is a really weird phrase to write on the blog - but in the UK it's a perfectly normal saying - does it sound strange to you?) with these fabulous danish homes:

A rare peek behind the facade of Copenhagen's colourful Nyhavn

A charming Danish home on a shoestring budget

A striking mid-century inspired Danish home

Trevlig helg! See you Monday friends! 

Niki

PS If you'd like to make your dreams even sweeter, I'm holding a give-away on instagram this weekend to win two luxury down pillows from Swedish brand Carpe Diem Beds - one for you and one for your partner / friend, and it's open to all! Hop on over to enter (closes on Monday).

Photography: Our Food Stories - shared with kind permission.

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Oak and a Cosy Roaring Fire In A Swedish Cottage Kitchen

Warning: this kitchen might make you want to move to the Swedish countryside. Especially if you love 19th century architecture, wood beams, and a roaring fireplace! Laura and Nora of the incredible Our Food Stories (whose Berlin studio and German country home I've also featured), bought a cottage in Österlen, Southern Sweden a few years back. I've been following the renovation ever since and have loved the way they've been adding their own signature touch while being careful to maintain the property's natural charm. This week Laura and Nora revealed their recently completed kitchen - which combines a stunning oak Devol Haberdasher kitchen with Bertazzoni and Smeg appliances and vintage lighting. Oh, and a wonderful fireplace of course! 

I'd be perfectly happy to keep Per company from the Little Petra armchair while he ambles about in the kitchen. His cakes might not be a patch on Our Food Stories.... but he does makes a MEAN spag bol!

This jute rug* is similar (and biodegradable). 

The Haberdasher kitchen is a handmade modular system, which features unpainted oak cupboards inspired by mid-century English interiors and a traditional gentleman's haberdashery - which makes it extraordinarily charming!

What oven do the girls with a foodie themed instagram feed that has amassed over 1 million followers use? A professional Bertazzoni range cooker, that's what! Now we know the secret to culinary success! 

The worktops are a mix of marble and handmade aged copper. The sink is also made of marble. 

The walls have been painted with chalk paint from Icelandic brand Kalklitir in 'calce' (I also used Kalklitir in my kitchen and I'm so happy with the nuanced finish!). 

Love that the unit in the above picture is also used for wood storage - it really adds to the cosiness of the space, din't you think? But above all else - look at that farmhouse table! *Sheds actual tears*! I've been looking for one like that for ages. I wonder if it was sourced in Sweden. I'm off to investigate! 

Before I head off - have you noticed kitchen cabinets made from natural wood have really come into their own in 2020? See also a calm, warm kitchen designed by Holly Marder and the awe-inspiring private kitchen of Noma head chef René Redzepi - beautiful! 

Could you imagine opting for wood in your kitchen? Or perhaps you're too busy imagining yourself in that fuzzy armchair by the fire to care! In which case, I wouldn't blame you! 

Wishing you a wonderful, cosy day friends! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Our Food Stories with thanks

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Before & After: A Derelict Classroom Becomes An Incredible Kitchen!

Hello friends! Boy, have I got something inspiring to share with you today! I admire many people in the design world. But there are two people in particular, I am constantly in awe of: Laura Muthesius and Nora Eisermann of Our Food Stories. Everything this lovely couple touch turns to gold - from a Berlin warehouse and German countryside apartment to a beautiful cottage kitchen in Sweden. And now, they've turned their hands to a former schoolhouse in rural Germany. When they got the keys to the property a few months ago, it had been empty for decades and the interior was, shall we say 'rustic' to say the least! So much so, many would have run a mile, myself included. But fortune favours the brave and these two had a vision - which, with a lot of hard work, would become a dream reality! 

The exterior and interior was in dire need of some TLC, with many of the original features stripped away - including the windows, which had been replaced with cheap reproductions. 

Working as a food stylist and photographer (with over one million followers on instagram, no less!), Laura and Nora were keen to create a large kitchen from which to work, film and live. The pair set about tearing out a small bathroom to recreate the original classroom area. 

They were hoping to find a wood floor lurking beneath the layer of concrete but sadly, when they peeled it back, it had been destroyed so they laid a new oak wood parquet floor. They also swapped out the modern windows and replaced them with replicates of the original windows from Sorpetaler Fensterbau.

Fortunately, they were able to bring their Devol kitchen from their previous country apartment, which they supplemented with extra units to capitalise on space. 

One of the features I love the most is the vintage arched door, which Nora sourced online - WHAT A FIND!!!!

The kitchen units and worktops were planned around the natural light which pours in through the large windows. 

They installed a Bertazzoni cooker (which will no doubt play a major part in their delicous cake creation moving forward!). 

An incredible DeVol marble sink matches the countertop which was custom-made by MCR. 

Matt limewash paint from Bauwer Color was applied to the walls (Ibiza) and ceiling (Smokebush).  

And finally, the pair installed a mantel piece and a DeVol freestanding pantry cupboard on the opposite side of the kitchen. 

I love glass cabinets - they're a perfect way to display pretty kitchen items while keeping them dust free (a big problem with the open shelves under my kitchen island!). 

All-in-all one, a really incredible kitchen, don't you think? Trust this pair to create such a unique and original, timeless kitchen!

You can keep to date with their latest recipes on @_foodstories and interior projects over at @_designtales_. They've also shared more info about this kitchen reno here - and if you're curious, you can take a peek at their cosy Swedish cottage kitchen here. 

And if you're looking for more kitchen inspiration today - check out: 

Before and after: a beautiful handmade kitchen on a budget

A Swedish kitchen gets a DIY make-over

Our summer cottage galley / narrow kitchen make-over

Have a wonderful start to the week friends! 

Niki

Photography: Nora Eisermann & Laura Muthesius / Our Food Stories - shared with kind permission. 

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My Summer Cottage Kitchen Renovation: Choosing the Appliances!

In paid partnership with Bosch:

Thank you so much for all your positive feedback on the summer cottage kitchen renovation plans I shared with you last week. I'm starting to feel so excited now! There's just one thing left to do before we rip everything out: choose the appliances. We knew early on that we'd go for Bosch since we've had their white goods for years and they're a perfect fit with IKEA kitchens - but now I realise that's only the beginning. There are other decisions to make. Like, do I go integrated or visible? And which model? Guh! I paid a visit to Elgiganten here in Malmö a few weeks ago to take a look at the options and I've finally narrowed it down to this: 

FRIDGE FREEZER

To be seen or not to be seen - that's the question! At home our fridge is on display but at the cottage I'm thinking that it's since it's a small space, it would be nice to go for a cleaner finish by hiding it behind the cabinet doors (inspired by the image below). 

FRIDGE FREEZER SERIES 4 KIN86VS30

After a little deliberation I've gone for this streamlined model which is designed to be hidden behind cabinet fronts. Apart from the fact that it would more than cater for our summer wine and cheese (which is our No.1 priority, of course!) it also has a low energy consumption (A++), saving 25% compared to fridge/freezers with energy class A. Nice! It also features NoFrost technology, so we'll never need to defrost it (our kids seem to be incapable of closing a door so it usually looks like the arctic in our freezer) which leaves more time to enjoy... well, the wine and cheese! 

OVEN

We have a built-in oven at home (seen below - note: this is an older Bosch model which is no longer sold) and I love that they take up less space than a range cooker and you can fit more storage around them as a result. Vital in a teeny space! 

OVEN SERIES 8 HBG872DS1S

Since the oven will be on show, the design is important, and to me, this is the sleekest one in the range! Admittedly, I'm unlikely to appear on MasterChef anytime soon, but I do love to make a Sunday roast (you can take a girl out of England....) so, naturally I love that this comes with a built-in meat probe known as 'PerfectRoast'. All you need to do is insert the thermometer and enter the desired temperature. The oven will let you know when your food is ready and turn off the heat! No more overcooked roasts (can you hear my family breathe a sigh of relief?!). I'm also liking the self-cleaning function which turns all the dirt to ashes, so you never need to clean the oven by hand. Amen to that! 

HOB

Our current cottage stove has seen better days (understatement!) so anything will be an improvement. But since we only plan on updating our kitchen every 50 years (the last time it was 'done up' was in the 1970s) we might as well go state-of-the-art with an induction cooktop. Plus, induction hobs look so neat and. are really easy to clean - as exhibited in the beautiful Danish kitchen below! 

INDUCTION HOB SERIES 6 PXE611FC1E

As soon as I saw this one, I felt super excited! Not only does it have a FlexInduction feature which, I learned, means you can use it like a conventional induction cooktop (4 rings) or combine them to make two large, continuous cooking zones - which is awesome for feeding larger crowds. It also has a 'FryingSensor Plus' which essentially means we can fry our food to perfection (cue no more over cooked and under cooked meatballs in the same serving = very happy kids!). It also has a string of other benefits which you can read about here.  

HOOD SERIES 4 DFM064A51

I love a visible fan as much as the next person but once again, we need the cabinet space (minimalists we are not). So instead, we're going for a hood that's practically invisible when not in use, and once pulled out it has the most amazing capacity to clear out the kitchen fast and it's super quiet (if I still manage to burn something with my new oven and hob - no one will ever need know!). What's not to love?!

DISHWASHER

There may or may not be a dishwasher lurking behind the beautiful cabinets in Anna Pirkola's Finnish kitchen, but that's just how I like it! So, for this appliance, I'm going all in 'invisible'. 

DISHWASHER SERIES 6 SBE46CX05E

We were actually tempted to go for a 45cm dishwasher until a friend pointed out that we'd spend our entire time unloading and reloading it (especially as the kids seem to go through 25 glasses an hour in the summer - do you find the same?!). Which brings me to my next point. And no, unfortunately it doesn't put everything back into the cupboards for us, although that would be amazing! But it is super efficient. The VarioSpeed Plus option rinses three times faster. So, if we've got a back-log of glasses (likely), we can reduce the rinse time by up to 66% at the push of a button. Ha! You won't beat us kids! 

So, that's where I'm at. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on my choices and please do share your own experiences, I'd love to hear any tips you might have. 

It really does feel like we can actually start tearing out the existing kitchen any day now - woohoooo! Let the fun begin! 

Niki

Photography credits: 1. Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home 2. Photography: Osman Tahir, Stylist and Home owner: Catrine Åberg / Cooee Design   3. Bosch Home 4. Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home 5. Bosch Home 6. Our Food Stories 7 & 8 Bosch Home 9. Anna Pirkola 10. Bosch Home

*This series is in paid collaboration with Bosch. However, all words and pictures are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too.

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