Trend Alert: How To Rock The Pastels

The skies might be slowly darkening here in Sweden, but summer looks set to continue thanks to one of this year's hottest interior trends: pastels. Powder pink, mint, lavender, clearwater blue, lemon yellow - it's all about that soft, sweet touch. Own the look by colour blocking with tone on tones or add simple, subtle touches in the form of a single item of furniture or accessory. Combine with clean lines and contemporary touches for a tougher, modern vibe. Here are three pastel shades I'm loving - and a guide on how to rock them in your home this autumn! 

Powder pink

1. Tom Fereday 2. Kelly Day 3. Mark Hadden 4. Surrounding Australia 5. Anna Pirkola 6. H&M Home
Powder pink has reigned supreme in the world of interiors for a while now. Often referred to as 'millennial pink', the earthy shade holds an element of retro (my Granny Ruth had a matching bathroom suite in this shade - and although I didn't appreciate it at the time - looking back it was pretty awesome!). The beauty of this shade is that it looks equally great as an entire room (try deco pink by Jotun Lady or Sweet Pastel by Valspar for the ultimate wall colour) or as an accent in the form of lamps, vases and bedding.

Get The Look

1. SP01 Jeanette Chair
2. Ferm Living Hexagon Vase*
3. Gubi Grasshopper Floor Lamp*
4. H&M Washed Cotton Duvet Set

Lavender

1. Ferm Living 2. Earthborn 3. Little Greene 4. Earthborn 5. Taubmans
I've got a confession to make. I was sceptical about this shade. But then I started to see it creep into interiors in the form of soft, earthy lavender-grey walls (try Lavender Lace by Behr) or a rug here or a sofa there and I quickly changed my mind. In order to avoid it looking fusty, combine with beige, gentle browns, grey and light blue, for a style that's bang up to date.

Get The Look

1. Dino Floor Lamp
2. Anthropologie Veru Dinner Plate
3. Parachute Sateen Sheet Set

Mint green

1. Carpet Right 2. Beth Kirby 3. Deiji Studios 4. Anthropology 5. Mindlike Studio
The least cutesy of the three, mint is cool, calm and contemporary. I'd lean towards the light green- pale blue of the spectrum (try Top sail by Sherwin Williams or even Soft Mint by Jotun Lady if you're looking for something slightly darker) and combine with other natural, earthy shades. I think it works particularly beautifully with rattan, light wood, dark greens and chocolate brown.

Get The Look

1. Ferm Living Tufted Wall Deco Rug*
2. Ferm Living Bau Plant Pot
3. Louis Poulsen AJ Table Lamp*
4. Cachae Tall Pendant*

Did any of these shades leap out at you? I have both powder pink and a darker shade of mint green in my own home. They're very soothing and easy to live with! I'd  absolutely love a pink bathroom just like Granny Ruth's too!

What are your thoughts on pastel? Are you a fan? Do you have any pastel shades in your home?

Niki

PS I've just arrived in Hamburg for the day to record a podcast with Holly Becker (Decor8) and Living At Home Holly magazine. Eeeek, wish me luck! I'll be sure to share snippets from the day on instagram stories so hop on over if you're curious to see how it's going!

*This post contains affiliate links which means I might receive a teeny amount of money (we're talking one coffee bean) if you purchase any of the items accompanied by an asterisk! 

Thank you so much to the wonderful Ana Degenaar for your help to compile this post. 

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The beautiful on trend sitting room

Morning! Reporing from a very grey London this morning. But if anything can brighten up my day this stunning sitting room created by Danish designer Mette Helena Rasmussen can. The space encompasses the current rose / gold trend perfectly by matching a vintage rose coloured accent wall with a polished brass Tom Dixon Etch Light - how very cool and pretty. Oh and they've added my favourite reading light too the Flos 265 wall light - could this be an option for my sitting room? I spy other bang up to date trends too such as the light grey marble table with pastel legs. What a treat for a grey Tuesday!

Photography: Tia Borgsmidt (with kind permission) for Boligliv via Ministry of Deco with thanks

What do you think? Are you channeling the gold / light grey marble and rose trend?

I've had a few questions about long-haired sheepskin rugs lately - this is a great source!

Oh and you might be interested to know that Mette owns an online shop called Retro Villa which sells the most beautiful items.....could be dangerous!

Have a lovely day!

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A super relaxed, boho cottage in Australia

I'm feeling all relaxed and inspired working from Djäkne, a café and communal workspace in town. It's amazing what a change of scene can do, don't you think? I stumbled across this lovely boho coastal cottage over at Apartment Therapy and it immediately matched today's mood! Situated in Victoria, Australia, the 100 year old home is rented by Kirsty Davey (founder of Otis and Otto), Simon Taylor and their daughter, Mali. The family lived in Melbourne and loved to come out here at the weekends before realising this is where they wanted to live permanently. The lovely, relaxed home is filled with vintage, reclaimed and restored pieces, works by local and overseas artists and a rich blend of textures to form a lovely base from which to enjoy surfing, cooking, gardening and other outdoor adventures. Let's take a peek....

Photography: Sophie Timothy for Apartment Therapy. With thanks.

Aaaaah, what a charming home, don't you think? 

Could you imagine moving to your 'weekend' retreat permanently? I shared this account by Sara Tasker recently who moved to the country and shared her lessons learned here. And this Swedish artist took up permanent residence in this former school house (honestly, I can totally see why!).

Where do you dream of moving to?

Get the look: Kitchen / dining: vintage Thonet / bentwood chairs (love these!), SMEG fridge,
Chemex brewer, Apollo coffee maker, source a beautiful range of copper pans here. Bedroom: white waffle bed spread. Porch: Hunter wellies, black plant stand.

You might also want to check out Kirsty's shop for lovely handmade pieces by local artisans (some of which can be seen in her home).  

You can also see more pics and a full write-up of this Australian home over at Apartment Therapy.

Other similarly relaxed Australian spaces you may have missed: a dreamy cottage,  a retro beach house and Kara Rosenlund's weatherboard cottage.  You might also want to get lost in my archive of  summer cottages for the longest mid-week coffee break ever.





Have a lovely day!

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Tour Brit's delightful home with touches of pink and gold

I've had trends on mind these past few week (as you can tell from my colour feature and your home = your sanctuary posts) - as we start a new decade there are certainly some subtle changes on the horizon.  But for all lovers of 'millennial pink' out there (of which I am one) - you'll be excited to hear that's one rosy hue that's here to stay. Hey, even if it wasn't, I'd have it in my home anyway! But no one loves the hue as much as Brit.  Self proclaimed 'Midwestern gal' Brit Arnesen is an interior stylist, blogger and enthusiastic DIYer with a penchant for dusty pink and golden tones. She shares her home with her 'one and only', 'two little loves' and one very handsome cat! Enjoy the tour! 

Keep an eye out for these dried fan shaped palm leaves - they're everywhere right now, whether displayed in a vase or as a key player in fabulous floral installations! 

Estee lamp by Mitzi, Sculpted rattan mirror from Anthropologie

Mirage yarrow sofa, shell pillow, white sheepskin

So pretty! Not sure if I'll ever tire of the dusty pink / gold combination, how about you? 

See more of Brit's home in all its rose tinted glory over on her blog and instagram @britdotdesign. 

And more pink inspiration here: 

A colourful retro funks home in Norway (love the pop of bright red against the pink!)

5 ways to add an accent colour to your home (inspired by a Malmö home!)

A delightful light-filled home in the rooftops of Munich

Are you a fan of pink? 

Seeing the shell cushion reminded me of this write-up over on Emily Henderson's blog - such an interesting read! What are your thoughts? 

Have a fab day - shells or no shells! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Brit Arnesen shared with kind permission

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Charming and Relaxed Boobialla Bungalow, Tasmania

This weekend I felt like spring was in the air in Malmö - even going as far as mentioning this in my instagram stories. What a mistake. We woke up this morning to a world blanketed in snow, yes friends, 'second winter' has arrived! I hope you'll forgive me for transporting us far south to a warmer climate on the blog today. 

There are several places on this earth that I have never been to, bit can imagine have a similar vibe to Sweden (although I could of course be wrong!). One day I'd love to visit Maine in the US, for example. But I am also drawn to Tasmania - there is something about the rugged, wild coastline and relaxed cabins I so often discover online. 

I've featured many holiday homes from the island in the past, and today stumbled across Boobialla Bungalow on the South Arm peninsula. A once forgotten 1930s shack, this charming and relaxed coastal hideout is a couple of minutes walk from the beach, and looks like a chilled base from which to explore the bay and beyond.

The majority of the furniture is vintage, adding to the chilled, un-polished vibe of the place. 

The mid blue helps to create a cosy atmosphere in the sitting room, and echoes the coastal location. 

A wood burning stove helps to heat the space in winter. 

The blue theme is continued in the bedroom. 

There's something about retro pink baths - my grandmother used to have one and this picture transported me straight back to my childhood! I love the combination with the dark green. 

Rather than grand outdoor seating around a fire, sometimes all you need is a few tree stumps! Speaking of which, are you ready for some outdoor inspiration soon? Even if there's snow on the ground right now here, I'm feeling confident spring is just around the corner (again!). 

Visiting Tasmania and fancy a stay here? Enquire more over at @airbnb and see more pictures at @boobiallabungalow. 

Take a peek at all the Tasmanian properties I've featured in this archive. 

Wishing you all a happy Wednesday! 

Niki

Photography: Renee Thurston, shared with kind permission from Shawn / Boobialla Bungalow

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The lovely home and atelier of an artist

This Friday I'm part of the  'Makers Spaces' blog tour, a new book by Emily Quinton. And it got me thinking about the wonderful creative spaces people live and work in. Johanna Bradford  and Kristin Lagerqvist shot this simply beautiful home and atelier in Varberg on Sweden's West coast a while back. With a sea-view on one side and forests on the other, it's the perfect place for Lisa Burenius to paint and enjoy life with her family - Petter and Eddie. The artist describes her interior style as 1930's with a personal twist, and loves to surround herself with personal objects, books and ceramics. Her advice is to 'listen to the house and trust your instinct. A home should be personal and warm, it should tell a story about who you are'. I feel her home is a perfect example of this, don't you?

 

Stylist: Johanna Bradford (with kind permission). Photographer: Kristin Lagerqvist

It's wonderful to see an entirely unique home where the personality shines through. It's got soul.

Lisa has some great ideas too - I love the way the books have been arranged so that some are facing outwards and piled high. I also like the simplicity of the fern leaves in jam jars and the retro set of garden furniture outside. All in all, a truly inspiring home.

What do you love most about this space?

You can see more pictures here if you'd like. 

It's well worth checking out Lisa's website  too- I love the video showing her at work in the atelier.  Her work is available here.

I often dip into the art studio archive for ideas. And my office Pinterest board has oodles of work space inspiration. Hey, if we've gotta work we might as well make it pretty, don't you think?

Have a lovely day!

PS do you have a wonderful maker's space I can share on the blog this week? If so, drop me a mail!

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