A Finnish Collector's Home Full of Vintage Treasures

I've posted a LOT of Finnish homes on here in the past, but never one like this! Stepping inside Pauliina's home in Harjavalta, Western Finland is like stepping back in time."I love 50's and 60's furniture and get so much inspiration from a thrift store," Pauliina tells me. "Usually I don't want to buy anything new, I try to find everything thrifted." The fruits of Pauliina's search have resulted in a unique home full of vintage treasures with pops of pink, blue and yellow accents. Don't miss her very pretty, very fluffy cats too!

I love this pair of brass cranes, I spotted similar ones at Hotel Henriette in Paris. This corner of Etsy is a great place to pick up a pair of your own.

The walls have been painted in code G370 from Tikkurilas and the floor is dotted with pretty rag rugs (traditional floor coverings made from leftover fabric scraps). 

"One of my favourite pieces is our coffee table in our living room. I also love our green armchair, it's designed by Olli Borg and is called 'Rondo'."

Keep a look out for an original version of the 60's Rondo chair on auction sites like Bukowskis. The light grey walls have been painted in Tikkurilas (code 1923) and the pink linen curtains are from IKEA (don't you love it when that happens? It's like when you ask someone where their dress is from and they say they 'bought it yesterday in H&M' - result!

The retro style wallpapers have been sourced from BoråsTapeter and Pihlgren&Ritola.

"The three best places to find lovely vintage items in Finland are Pimee vintti, Wanha mari and in summer time there are many good outdoor flea markets here in Finland. You can find the schedule here (in Finnish only)." Pauliina.

How pretty does Pimee vintti look? It's a little like the area I visited for my book The Scandinavian Home and I've been dying to go back ever since!

This guest room is full of 50's / 60's floral prints - and looks right at home in the house built in the same era.  

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Aaaaa, I really loved looking around this home, it was like going in a time machine, right down to the last detail (did you spot the retro radios?!). If you have a spare moment today you must visit Pauliina's instagram feed and blog where there are hundreds more pictures of this space and snippets from the homes of similar minded vintage bargain hunters! 

Does this home inspire you to go hunting for vintage treasures?!

For more retro vibes today check out the relaxed Antwerp home of a creative duo, Tamsin Flower's cheerful London Home and a pared-back Australian beach house with a retro vibe. These are all such wonderful homes - I love them all! 

Have a lovely day!

Photography: Pauliina

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A Small Mid-Century Swedish Apartment Packed with Personality

'Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get' goes the famed line from Forest Gump. And I like to make sure that this blog offers some surprises. While this might not be 'out there' in terms of the building itself (after all, in the past I've shown everything from a tiny house on wheels to a home in a converted fire station), stylistically thinking, this mid-century home is a little different from the other properties I've shown lately. 

It may be small (269 f2 / 25 m2) but this studio apartment in the heart of Stockholm has everything you need to feel comfortable: a cosy bed, sitting room area, dining table, kitchenette and balcony. The 1930s apartment is also packed with personality (I'm looking at the blend of mid-century modern and vintage furniture (note the red chairs - a running theme in Swedish homes right now, as seen in Monday's home tour too), and retro touches. 

Let's delve in further to see what's at play! 

A large rug helps to add a cosy touch to the bedroom / living room / dining area - with the choice of dark green adding to the mid-century vibe. 

Under-bed storage provides space for clothes and other items. 

The traditional gate-leg table can be folded out to cater for more people. 

Elfa storage (of which I am a huge fan), is adaptable over time and comes with the option of lots of different accessories including book ends, hooks and even a mirror (although, this one is retro of course!). 

The original retro kitchen adds to the overall feel of the apartment. 

Love this personal and unique home. It's a great example of how to ensure lots of storage in a small space - especially for book lovers! 

Is there anything that stood out to you? 

You can see more mid-century-themed homes here: 

A Finnish collector's home full of vintage treasures

A colourful, retro 'funkis' home in Norway

The relaxed Antwerp home of a creative duo

Have a lovely mid-week - stor kram! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Historiska Hem (styling - Rydman / photography Janson), found via Nordroom with thanks. 

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A Colourful Retro 'Funkis' Home in Norway

Green and pink accents are popping up everywhere this year - which makes me so happy, since it's one of my favourite combinations - are you a fan too?  We've seen everything from the darkest green and emerald to sage green and soft grey-green combined with subtle powder and dusty rose hues. But the 'deco pink' and pea green scheme in this house in Søgne, South Norway brings something new to the scene.

Etsy is a great source for mid-century teak furniture*, Eames dowel leg chair*

Bambi and Heels print by Julie Pike. 

The house was built in 2011-2012 and designed with large windows to capitalise on the stunning views over the Langeneskilen sea. Camilla, Henning and their son Storm moved in on Christmas Eve, 2012. "It really is wonderful to live so close to the sea," Camilla tells me, "sometimes, when we're having supper we can see fish jumping! Our son Storm is also very fond of the sea and loves to catch crabs and fish."

Camilla is a big fan of retro furniture (teak being a favourite!), contemporary art, and Scandinavian design classics - and of course, colour. "I need lots of colour in my home, I don't feel comfortable otherwise. My favourite hues are pink, turquoise and mint," Camilla explains.

Contemporary Art by Anetmai

Interior designers often suggest adding an element of surprise to a room to really bring it to life and make it truly unique. In this room a beaded, flamingo door hanging does the trick (and looks great next to the retro storage unit!). 

"The flamingo wall hanging I bought in Croatia. I love pieces like that, and when I saw it, I knew it was meant for me! The colours of the flamingos are beautiful, and I think it's a fun piece to have in our living room. It will certainly be moved around the house!

This is a perfect example of how you can transform a neutral space with a few accessories and a statement piece. In Camilla's bathroom a mint coloured retro chest-of-drawers, salmon pink towels and a rattan plant pot add a fresh and vibrant feel. I love the seascape too!

Is there anything that you love in particular from this home? I'm already wondering where to use that deco pink!

You can check out more snapshots from Camilla's home on her instagram @rainbowfunkis - and for other inspiring colourful Scandinavian homes I'm loving: bright colours in a Danish home 
(also featuring Deco pink!), a Danish home full of vintage treasures and 12 child-friendly ideas from a happy family home in Berlin. Oh hang on - why don't I just give you the link to the entire bright colour homes archive - far easier!

I hope you enjoyed the tours!

Vi ses imorgon!

Niki

Photography by Camilla / @Rainbowfunkis shared with kind permission

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The relaxed Antwerp home of a creative duo

Antwerp is known as Belgium's design capital and famous for it's thriving creative scene. Friends who've visited tell me it's also a buzzing, beautiful city with some fabulous shopping (I need to go! have you been?).  Or perhaps you're lucky enough to live there like Belgium photographer Kimberley Dhollander (Kimmy) & web / graphic designer Philippe Corthout (Phili). The creative duo live in a house in the heart of the city with magnificent high ceilings and large windows that flood the space with light. The home has been artfully decorated with a mix of retro and mid-century finds against a simple white backdrop for a lovely, relaxed vibe. Let's take a tour...

Photography: Kimmy & Phili for Inside Antwerp. Found via Seventeen Doors with thanks.

What a lovely, relaxed home, don't you think? Love the stained glass window and tiled floor in the kitchen!

Did you notice the picture frames on the garden wall too?

Get the look: this vintage school chair is similar, retro cabinet with hairpin legs, step stool (painted in blue). Atomic threshold sells a great array of mid-century furniture (including dining chairs like the ones seen in this home). outdoor table and chairs.

See Kimberley's work (including pieces available to purchase) here. And for pics and a full interview visit Inside Antwerp. 

More homes with a love of retro include this Australian beach-house (one of my favourites!). And definitely don't miss part I and part II of this Swedish home - so wonderful!

I'm off to London today to visit my sister who had a baby girl last week - so excited!  I can't wait to meet my niece for the first time...

Have a lovely day!

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A pared-back Australian beach house with a retro vibe

Spring is in the air...at least in the home tours this week (and outside here in southern sweden, yay!). This pared-back Australian beach house certainly adds to the vibe.  Located in the coastal town of Merrick, Victoria, it's decorated with pretty pops of colour, retro floral prints (my grandparents had curtains just like these in their sitting room, they had fab style), and freshly cut branches from a cherry tree. The owners have completed their holiday home with a mix of vintage, industrial and modern furniture as well as homespun textiles for a relaxed, bohemian feel. An Australian take on the Danish home we saw yesterday? Just lovely! I could wile away a summer here, how about you?!

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Anything in particular you love about this holiday home (or everything perhaps?!)?

 Items I know and love: Try Etsy for retro floral print curtains, Tivoli radio, Moka coffee maker. Wood wool stool sells crocheted items.

I dream of having an outdoor shower, there's something very cool about them and instantly conjure up days of long summer days at the beach. Here are some of my favourites.

The other thing I noticed are the shelves across the window - what a great idea?!

See more pictures and a full write up of the house here.

Other holiday homes in which I could wile away a boho summer include: this tranquil space in Corsica, a white and wood villa on Mykonos, a Norwegian cabin by the sea, and a Scandinavian style cottage in Oregon.

Roll on summer!

Have a lovely day!

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