Going up in 2018: indoor climbing plants

After yesterday's awe-inspiring home tour, all I can think about today is house plants. And if there's one type to top all others right now, it's climbers. Climbing plants seem to be taking over the plant world (and homes) right now! Whether used to frame a window, wrap themselves around ceiling beams or winding their way up shelving, the green beauties provide a lush boost of green which will brighten up the dreariest of January days (I'm in, are you?!). Here's a little inspiration...

Michelle Hayes

Indoor living plants MR Kitly

Anders Bergstedt / Entrance

Natalie Jeffcott

Jonas Bjerre Poulsen / Höst restaurant Copenhagen

Kara Healy

So beautiful, don't you think? If, like me, you're already plotting where your climber should go (my home is suddenly feeling decidedly ungreen), here are 5 great climbers and two inspiring books to set you on the right path...

Get the look

Urban Jungle: Living and Styling with Plants
The Green Home

Training your climber

So we kind of know which plant and where to put it, but how on earth do we train them to go where we want them to go (and stop our house from becoming a scene out of Little Shop of Horrors)?! The methods vary depending on the type of plant - so do ask about the best way to train and care for your climber at the point of purchase. When it comes to support, you can either train your plant around whatever's already in place (pipes, beams etc) or invest in a trellis of some kind (there is a large variety of different supports you can use depending on the look you're after) - here's a helpful guide. My parents-in-law have had one as long as I can remember and they simply use evenly spaced tacks around the window frame - so it definitely doesn't need to be complicated!

I'd love to see your climber in action (don't forget to tag me on Instagram too!).

Have a great weekend and see you Monday! 

PS I love how this climber goes up and around a door frame!

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A Charming Danish Home on a Shoestring Budget

Hello! Hur går det?! It's great to be back after a week in the mountains. I'm feeling all revived, the sun's shining and I'm ready to roll! I hope you feel the same this bright and sunny Monday?!  I thought I'd kick off the week with a tour of the charming home of Fie Frøling, finalist of the 'Danish Instagram of the Year' (and for very good reason!). Fie's home is packed with second hand finds, DIY items and an abundance of greenery. I caught up with her to find out a little more. Enjoy the tour!

Where do you live?
My home is in Næstved, Denmark and I have lived here with my boyfriend and our two dogs since 2014. I actually grew up in this house with my parents and sister. We're still in the process of renovating it.

Get the look: Marshall speakers, Ilva cabinet, Kimono from Sissel Edelbos,

How would you describe your style?

I would describe my style as mix and match with an ethnic, boho vibe and a hint of industrial. I love it when warm tones meet black steel and like to play around with feminine and masculine decor.

Get the look: Brok side table, source kilim cushions here, man in canoe print, Nordal rug (I have a similar one in my sitting room!).  

 Where do you like to shop? 
I love to buy my decor at different places. I have a serious soft spot for Swedish secondhand shops and the Danish website DBA. You can find some great stuff there. Our entire kitchen was bought from DBA. Otherwise I love to shop at unoliving.dk, Casanordic.dk, semibasic.dk, Ilva and Broste. They have amazing pieces at good prices.

It's nice to see so many plants in your home!
I have a huge love for plants. I can't go an entire month without buying a new green baby! They give such a cool effect against the black and warm colours. But also, I feel like they bring my home to life because you can watch them grow. Denmark isn't the most sunny and bright country but because of all my green plants I feel like it's never dark, they remind me of summer and rainforests.

I am fascinated by your bed headboard, can you tell us more about it?!
I made our headboard three years ago. We needed a new headboard but I couldn't find one I liked. I saw these pallets by our local train station which had been thrown out and had been lying there for some time and had turned grey and rusty. I was given permission to take them and then I screwed them to our bed frame. Et voilà! A headboard emerged! 

Thank you so much for the tour of your lovely home Fie! 

What a great tour - I specially loved the the rustic pieces and plants (you know, I still can't stop thinking about that urban jungle home a few weeks back, how about you?!). It's amazing what you can find at flea markets. Is there anything you loved in particular about Fie's home?

If you'd like to see more of Fie's home there are tonnes of lovely snapshots on her instagram feed @woodlandwhim. And for more homes with a boho vibe why not check out this archive (oh and I LOVE the Danish home archive too - a real favourite!).

Have a great start to the week!

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Beautiful inspiration for plant lovers

Last week I shared a cosy garden shed make-over (how I'd love one of these!) - which was all about creating a little home to call your own at the end of the garden. Today, I thought we'd do the reverse - and take a look at how to create a lovely garden inside our homes - or at least bring a little greenery indoors! Not only are plants said to help boost health, clean the air, boost healing and help us work better (read more here!), they also look beautiful. This weekend I'll be taking inspiration from Jeska and Dean Hearne's lovely home - which Dean recently shot for a 'green-living' feature in Another Escape magazine. I hope you'll feel inspired too!

Credits: Dean Hearne

Time to create that urban jungle?!

Get the look with a few of my favourite planters: vintage terracotta pots, this and this garden pot, and for something a little quirky try Stella Baggott (cute!).

And for the plants - I'm loving some of these 'no fail' plants (said to be nearly impossible to kill  we like)...and the 9 best for air purifying.

For more home inspiration this weekend you might want to revisit the beautiful Melbourne home of a florist and a lovely boho home of a Swedish artist and florist.

And finally - 182 beautiful ideas of how to incorporate plants and flowers into your life. I guess we have no excuses!

And before I leave you to have a lovely 'green' weekend, there's good news all round, I've announced the winner of the Feliz bedding here - as well as a fantastic 20% off for everyone else - yay! Click here to get your discount code!

Have a wonderful weekend and see you Monday!

PS Could you live off the grid like this couple?

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Plants and mid-century pieces in a New York City brownstone

Hello weekend (almost!). The beauty of the Internet is that you can transport yourself anywhere in the world, anytime you like! I'm taking full advantage of this and whisking us to a Brownstone in Brooklyn. I was fortunate enough to visit this fab borough of New York City last summer while working on my book. It's so vibrant and celebrated for it's diverse people, restaurants and bars as well as it's art scene. Lisa Munoz, owner of Leaf and June - an interior plant design company and David Azzoni, a partner at Turntable Lab DJ shop recently moved to this lovely apartment in the Clinton Hill neighbourhood. The duo have furnished their pad using only their most treasured items which include salvaged, vintage and inherited pieces...and of course an abundance of plants. So inspiring!

Photography: Erica Gannett. Via Design Sponge with thanks. 

What a great space! I'm loving the mid-pieces and all the plants!

You can read more about this home and see a few more pics (captured by Erica Gannett) over at Design Sponge here. It's fascinating to read about why certain plants have been placed where.

Get the look: loving these fab hanging plant holders and stands. Source teak mid-century furniture here. For more plant and flower inspiration you might want to check out my archive (yes, I have an archive for everything!).

I'm writing this from a café inside the walls of beautiful Galle Fort here in the South of Sri Lanka. I have to say though it's scorching today so we've been camping out hiding from the heat!

Have a lovely day!

PS This home is filed under my 'International Homes archive' - not that I want to wile away a morning for you.....but just saying! 

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The Charming Swedish Home of a Plant and Flea Market Enthusiast

Malin Brostad loves gardening. In fact, she loves plants and flowers in general. The borders in the garden of her pretty, classic yellow and white house in Hässelby, Western Stockholm are bursting with fox gloves, ferns, roses and other species hardy enough to withstand the Northern climate. In the winter, more sensitive shrubs are brought inside and rest on shelving, vintage tables and credenzas alongside climbers, monstera and coleus as well as treasures picked up at flea markets. It's hard not to fall in love with Malin's charming home - which she shares with husband Markus and their children Ville (10) and Vidar (7). Välkommen in!

My parents-in-law have had a climber like this around their window for decades - and I appreciate it every time I visit. In Malin's home, it makes a feature of the window - and adds a green feel even when there are no leaves on the trees outside. (See my guide to indoor climbing plants if you're curious to do something similar!).

A classic danish Stoff candleholder* can be glimpsed amid the urban jungle atop a mid-century side table*.  I remember seeing the same candleholder in Karolina Modig's Stockholm home (another plant enthusiast!).

I cheated a little here and am sharing a photo which Malin took at another time (which explains why it's not the same arrangement seen in the photo above it!). I couldn't resist though, as I love the lions head and gallery wall and thought you might too! 

Kim Kardashian is not the only who can break the internet. The incredible coleus seen in the corner of the family dining area (and in Malin's arms below!) caused a stir on instagram in 2018! I can totally see why, how about you?!

In the winter, there's one geranium for every step! 

There's so much to love about Malin's bedroom - the A-frame ceilings, the vintage chair, the plants, the soft teal wall colour (by Jotun), the apricot linen duvet cover*. Isn't it pretty?!

Looking at the exterior of Malin's Swedish home - it's hard not to dream about moving to the suburbs of Stockholm, does anyone else feel the same?!

Failing that, this home has taught me that there's absolutely nothing stopping me from bringing more plants into my homes. I love how a coleus like Malin's adds a burst of colour to the room too - perfect! 

Is there anything that stands out to you? 

See more snaps of Malin's lovely home over on her instagram @malinbrostad - and other Swedish homes with pretty outdoor spaces here, here and here! 

I've just returned from a great weekend in Frankfurt where I attended Ambiente Fair. It was a bit of a flyby tour and I'm feeling sooooo tired this morning (cue - 'kids, can you fix your own breakfast today'?!) but it was super inspiring too! If you'd like to take a peek at the latest trends, I recorded this interview with the Ambiente Facebook Live (eeek!) team on Saturday.  

Have a wonderful start to the week!

Niki

Photography: Malin Brostad, shared with kind permission.

Affiliate links marked with * 

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Snapshots From The Boho Oklahoma Home of Two Vintage Collectors

You kind of know that the owners of a shop selling 'vintage, crystals and unique goods' are gonna have a lovely home full of goodies, don't you?! And Danielle and Philip Fausset-Holmes' home definitely doesn't disappoint. While the couple aren't minding their brick and mortar shop Jo and June Vintage in Tulsa, Oklahoma, they're chilling out in their cosy, boho oasis complete with hanging plants, cactus, layered kilim rugs, and second hand furniture. Put the kettle on, pour yourself a cuppa and enjoy!

 Cactus print from Fine Life Co (beautiful shop!), Macrame plant hanger*, vintage rugs and cushions

My Mum has had a kilim rug in the sitting room for as long as I remember - which she teams with an antique blue velvet chesterfield. I've been a huge fan ever since! Keep an eye on Jo and June's stock for one off vintage rugs like these! 

 Vintage safari chair*

Sinnerlig pendant, Tulip table*, Muuto nerd chair*, white sheepskin throw*

What a truly personal and cosy home!

I love the layers of textiles and all the plants (especially the two hung from the ceiling in the dining room).

I am wondering if I should do the same with hanging plants in my kitchen? The only problem is our high ceilings and I remember Hilton Carter advising us in the Ultimate Guide to Hanging Plants that we should always place green friends in reach so they're easy to water (I'm already picturing myself teetering on a bar stool!). Could be worth it anyway, what do you think?!!

Is there anything that stood out to you about Danielle and Philip's lovely, boho home?

See more pictures of it here and check out their fabulous shop Jo and June (or better still, if you're in the Kendall Whittier District of Tulsa, Oklahoma why not stop by?!).

Oh and more boho homes I love here (if this pops up first just scroll on by - unless of course you'd like to take the tour all over again, in which case I wouldn't blame you!).

Have a fabulous day!

Niki

PS The cactus print pops up twice since these pictures weren't all taken at the same time and the couple love to move things around!

Photography: Danielle and Philip Fausset-Holmes / Jo and June
Affiliated links marked with *

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