A Danish Home Full of Vintage Treasures

As a London girl - I've always felt comforted by the fact that Copenhagen is just a short hop over the Öresund bridge from Malmö. Not only does it give me that big city feeling I sometimes crave, it also opens up a world of Danish design and vintage finds! It's like living in two cities (and countries) in one! One of my latest finds is Finderi, a secondhand shop owned by Josephine Ilmi Johansen selling a trove of vintage treasures. Josephine also works as an interior designer, stylist and writer, offering her services through Autent. It's little wonder her own home is full of the most amazing finds from across the eras, beautiful artwork and intriguing details.

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"I rarely hunt for anything in particular, so I often end up surprising myself with the objects I'm drawn to."

This little teak side table and original Hans Wegner sofa (that blue velvet is divine) were recently sold through Josephine's shop. Keep an eye out for similar on Etsy*.

These classic Arne Jacobsen Series 7 chairs* are possibly my favourite dining chairs of all time - I especially love the light tan leather! Would you also be quite happy to sit and dine on these bad boys each day?!

"Rather than chasing any certain trend or designer, I tend to just trust my initial gut feeling about a piece of furniture, pottery or art; I reckon that if I love it, It's by definition my style and I don't pay much regard to whether other people 'get it' or not."

How beautiful is the pink and dark teak wood combination in Josephine's kitchen?! I love the brass accent (thanks to a Bumling pendant light* by Anders Pehrson which has been transformed into an extractor hood!) and touches of emerald green velvet too (source similar cushions here*).

"Generally speaking, I'm attracted to round and odd shapes, great handcraft, vibrant colours and objects that seem to have a personality of their own."

And Josephine's tips for adding vintage finds to the home?

"In styling, as in most aspects of life, diversity is key. Combining objects that aren't an obvious match often creates absolute magic and adds a very personal touch. My go-to tips:

1. Incorporate elements from different design eras and movements

2.  Be bold with your styling in terms of mixing materials, colours and shapes."

Quarella worktops are a rising trend in Scandinavian homes and make a refreshing change from light grey marble - it's a super durable surface too!

Aaaaa, I do love this home, it's so personal!  Does it also make you want to head to Copenhagen and go searching for secondhand Danish treasures?

If you do,  make sure you stop by Finderi!

For more Danish home love this bright and sunny Monday - I'm taking a peek around this home and studio of a photographer, the fabulous home of a Danish interior designer and A Danish oasis in Cannes - come and join me in the archive! You can also check out Josephine's feed on instagram here.

Have a great start to the week!

 PS I'm sneaking off early today to watch Sweden in the world cup - heja Sverige!


Photography: 6, 7, 8 Anitta Behrendt for Alt Interior. Remaining by Josephine Ilmi Johansen.

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The Earthy Stockholm Home of a Vintage Shopkeeper

I'm getting all the Friday feels from the wonderful pop-up shop (above) and Stockholm home of Elin Jensdotter - and couldn't resist stopping by to share a few snaps with you! Elin runs Bodil Vintage, a fabulous vintage shop in Stockholm. Many of the secondhand pieces have also found their way into her delightful, earthy home. Despite the eclectic mix, the pieces blend perfectly with her the dark brown, chestnut and cream touches that make up her interior. I think vintage shops and flea markets will be on the itinerary this weekend, how about you? Enjoy the tour! 

Is it just me, or are we seeing a lot of wall-mounted vintage cabinets right now? Etsy* is a great source! That table is beautiful too! 

A simple pom pom throw* helps to protect the sofa while adding a relaxed feel to the space, while a low shelf on the back wall provides plenty of space for decorative items. 

The family have access to a small balcony - which despite its size, is big on style. Think string lights*, rattan, a small mounted table, a little parasol and candles! Perfect! 

I love this! 

.... and kicking myself for giving away a wall mounted cabinet lately. Think I'm going to have to go on a hunt for another one! Vintage shops here I come! 

For more inspiration take a look at Elin's drool worthy instagram feed @longingforlennon - and discover what she currently has in her shop! 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend friends! See you Monday! 

Niki

Photographs courtesy of Elin Jensdotter found via SF Girl By Bay.

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The Soot House: A Beautiful Cabin Inspired By Rugged Landscape

What do you get if you combine a sculptor with a builder? The Soot House, that's what! Sculptor turned builder Anthony Esteves built the Soot House by hand, combining his learnings as a sculptor with newly acquired high-end building techniques. The charred black structure was inspired by the 'ghostly quality' of 17th century New England homes and the wild, craggy landscape of Spruce Head, Maine. Today Anthony, his wife Julie O'Rourke (founder of RudyJude kids clothes) enjoy the house and it's beautiful surroundings first hand. 

I've always been such a big fan of black houses. They're fairly common in Scandinavia (especially for summer houses / cabins). For this charred black structure, Anthony was inspired by the island's black spruce and lichens as well as the wild landscape. 

The table (which was picked up at a local secondhand shop) is so beautiful, don't you think? My Mother has a similar one which she bought at auction years ago- sadly the drawers mean that it's too low to fit a chair / your legs under the table (just a word of warning to measure up before you acquire one of these bad boys!). She uses hers as a side table, and it looks equally beautiful!

I love how the textures - such as stone and wood - have been carefully selected to mirror the craggy surrounding landscape.

A small stove resting on a vintage chest-of-drawers serves as somewhere to cook evening meals (in a back-to-basics kinda way!).

Rails made from copper pipes and ropes are used as clothes hangers in the bedroom.

Wow! So striking, personal and unique! You can really sense the connection that the house has with its surroundings.

The interior would look equally at home on the rugged Swedish Baltic island of Gotland.

And the exterior reminds me a lot of this incredible black house by the sea in rural Iceland which I'm totally planning on renting one day! 

Are you a fan of black facades too?  

Niki

Photography Greta Rybus, found via Remodelista with thanks. 

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Sidsel's Elegant Copenhagen Home with a Snoozing Dog!

Many moons ago (I think we're talking four years) I featured Sidsel Garsdal's lovely Copenhagen apartment on My Scandinavian Home.  I've been following her on instagram ever since, and felt it was definitely time to see what the Dane has been up to! Sidsel her family and their dog Pablo divide their time between a flat in the heart of the Danish capital, where Sidsel works as a psychotherapist and their charming cabin on the island of Fejø. 

In their apartment, Sidsel has struck that wonderful balance between clean and clutter free and homely. The trick: a mix of materials and textures, beautiful wood floors, rugs and art - and a gently snoozing dog! Let's take a look around!

The chairs around the table are a mix of classic wishbone and old Danish school chairs. The incredible table was a secondhand find. 

My eyes are on the armchair - I bet it's so cosy to sit in! The armchair and sofa are danish design pieces by Formal A. The mirror coffee tables by Kristina Dam Studio are also very cool and a great way to lighten up a space. The La Cava rug is from Jotex. 

Light therapy spot, right there! So important in the Nordics! 

I love the vintage table - and also can't help but notice Sidsel's cowboy boots, one of this season's hottest trends. Will you be rocking a pair? 

The PAX closet is from IKEA which Sidsel has painted in 3372 from Flügger. 

It's not uncommon for beautiful old apartments in Scandinavia to have a decorative communal stairwell. Some have wonderful old lifts too. I love the blue shade and stain glass window in this one! 

I hope you enjoyed revisiting Sidsel's apartment as much as I did today!

Is there anything that stood out to you? 

Take a peek inside more danish homes: 

The Copenhagen home of a stylist and vintage store owner

A stationary designer's lovely Copenhagen apartment

A Copenhagen family home full of books and other treasures

The timeless home of a jewellery designer

I'm on my way to the cabin today for a few photoshoots. It's so tricky with the limited light, but I'm looking forward to sitting by the fire with a glass of wine tonight!

I hope you have a great Lillördag too!

Niki

Photography: Sidsel Garsdal, shared with kind permission

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A Bright and Modern Danish Apartment With Art and Vintage Pieces

Why, hello there friends! Happy New Year! It's great to be back blogging again after a break over 'Jul'! If like me, you like a fresh start, you're going to love today's home tour, so let's dive straight in. 

This beautiful old apartment in Randers, a city on the Jutland peninsular, Denmark belongs to Anne Hundborg and her family. Anne had applied fresh light tones to the floors and walls, which serve as a neutral backdrop so her art collection, rugs and vintage furniture can pop! Keep a look out for all the glass cabinets, cool lights and touches of pattern too. Although pared-back, her home is full of fab details! 

Velkommen! 

I was pleasantly surprised to discover the kitchen is from IKEA! Designer items like a tap from Pulcher Denmark and lighting from Nordlux (over island), Verpan and By flou elevate the look.

The large kitchen also has a dining table and sofa as well as a back entrance. 

I love the vintage shoe rack, we could do with sometime like this in our house! 

In the sitting room a mid-century style table from Warm Nordic sits in front of a Hay sofa. 

A second hand cabinet and a wired shelf from Montana serve as storage beside the TV. 

Anne repainted a secondhand cabinet picked up from danish second hand store DBA. The rug is from Benuta and the wall features art such as Vinyl Guy by Jenny o Jens. 

The striped bedspread steals the show in the bedroom (I can't find a source, could it be handmade? I'll follow up with Anne and get back to you!), together with the Point chair from OK Design, rug from Benito (as before) and wall mounted second hand cabinet. I love the laces on her Adidas trainers too (below!). 

A second smaller bedroom features a HAY mega dot bed spread, IKEA cabinet (to the left) and an iconic Fritz Hansen Dot stool. 

What a beautiful apartment. I always think the Danes make it look so effortless to add pops of colour and funky touches to their homes, while still keeping the look calm. It's definitely an art form! 

Is there anything that stood out to you in particular about Anne's home? 

See more and feel inspired over at @by_blogliv. And check out a collection of other fab Danish homes with pops of colour here. 

Have a great start to the week friends, see you Wednesday with a tour of my new attic storage make-over - I'll tell you now, it was a lot of work clearing out the mountains of stuff, but I'm so happy with the results! 

It's good to be back! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of  @by_blogliv, shared with kind permission. 

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