A Charming Blend of Old and New in a Stockholm Home

It's a school holiday this week in Southern Sweden and I feel like I'm the only one up, tapping away on my laptop in a cafe by the sea. The clocks went back at the weekend which means darker nights - which in turn means the warm glow from lamps, candles and log fires. Further North, snow covers the ground and the birds taken flight to warmer climes. It's a time for cosying up at home by the fire, reading and taking long walks. And I'm all for it! 

This lovely Stockholm apartment is owned by Mina and Carlo, founders of IO Kids Design and is located in 'Söder', a hipster part of town with some of the Swedish capital's best cafes and restaurants. Even so, when the temperatures hit minus, being tucked up under a blanket beside the kakelugn (tiled masonry oven) is the way to go! Keep a look out for personal touches, a blend of antique and designer pieces as well as the beautiful entrance way. 

I hope you find something in this lovely home to inspire you! 

Two tone kitchens are where it's at right now. The apartment owner Carlo Negri - an architect for Sweco, designed this kitchen. I love how the upper cabinets are in wood, adding lots of warmth to the space. 

Carlo also designed the book cases in the sitting room and bedroom. 

Space is limited in the city and many get creative to make space for the entire family. In this aprtment, the children's room is divided into two using a series of closets.

This bunkbed is next level (literally!). I actually haven't seen one like this before. Does anyone have any tips on where it might be from?  UPDATE: it's called the IO Bunk Pod and was designed by Mina and her husband - the owners of this apartment and founders of IO Kids Design!

The other half of the room is small (yet cosy) - with enough space for a charming antique bed! 

I love these grand early 19th century communal entryways you find in Sweden! 

Confused about the layout? Here's the floorplan as shared by Historiska Hem: 

Glossary: sovrum - bedroom, Kakelugn - fireplace, allrum - living room, bad - bathroom, kök - kitchen, Gardrob - wardrobes.

I love the exterior of this property too - classic Stockholm! 

Is there anything that stood out to you about this lovely apartment? 

Why not cosy up for a while and see a few other incredible apartments from the Swedish capital here: 

A charming Stockholm home in wintertime

A lovely Stockholm home where past and present meet

Get the look from the fab Stockholm home of a design hunter

Right folks, the autumn sun is shining and I've got two children (teenagers) here at home waiting to get into action (actually they're still asleep so they don't know that yet, but they will be!). 

Wishing you a great start to the week! 

Niki

Photographs courtesy of Historiska Hem with thanks 

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A Charming Apartment In Stockholm Where Past And Present Meet

Why, hello there! I hope you had a great weekend! I thought we'd kick off the week with a charming Stockholm home that's full of character and lovely vintage touches (I especially love the loo roll holder!). The space has been captured by Historiska Hem - an estate agent which prides itself on selling homes with a past. And I can totally understand why this one fits the bill. The apartment is housed in the historic Nederland Mindre 9, a property best known as the former home and studio of Swedish artist and sculptor Christian Eriksson. Dating back to the late 17th century, the house has been converted into a series of beautiful apartments where past and present go hand in hand. What a perfect opportunity for anyone looking for their own little slice of history in the heart of Stockholm! Ready to peek inside? 

I love how a narrow wall in the kitchen has been put to good use with a built-in plate-rack, painted the same colour as the cabinets - perfect for extra storage and adding to the cosy feel of the home, don't you think?

Owning a home with a Kakelugn (tiled masonry oven) is a bit of a dream of mine. This one appears to be in great working condition too! The entire 'oven' heats up and emits heat for hours on end, even after the fire dies. Oh, and they're pretty too! 

The bathroom is made up of so many lovely details - including a vintage cabinet. copper pipes, pretty floor tiles and a vintage loo roll holder. 

Sidenote: I am especially taken by the loo roll holder for the simple reason that no one in my family except me, is capable of taking the cardboard roll off the holder once it's finished. They just put the new loo roll on top. I mean. Seriously! How hard can it be?  

I'm thinking if I had one of these bad boys with space for four, it wouldn't bother me so much! What do you reckon? 

While we're on the subject, my Mother-in-law has a vintage loo roll holder in her bathroom at the summer cottage. It has a little built-in drawer and I recently found out that in the olden days, it was used to store a match box.... make of that what you will! 

What a magnificent entrance! 

I love the outdoor space too. You see this outdoor furniture a lot in Sweden, it's made by a classic Swedish brand Grythyttan (just in case you're looking for new outdoor furniture this Autumn / winter). I shared a whole load of 'cosy' outdoor inspiration a few weeks ago (in case you missed it). 

Is there anything that stood out to you about this lovely home? 

Fancy taking a peek inside a few other Stockholm homes today? Here are a few of my faves: 

The incredible Stockholm home of Lovisa Häger

Get the look from the fab home of a design hunter

A beautiful Stockholm home in calming green and grey tones

Wishing you a fabulous start to the week friends!

Niki

Photography: Historiska Hem photo Lina Ostling styling Rymandshem

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7 Small Space Tricks To Learn From A Light-Filled Stockholm Family Home

Unless you're completely minted, you usually need to compromise somewhere on a property - whether that's location, size, outdoor space, aesthetics or layout. For this family in Stockholm, living in the hippest neighbourhood in town - South of Folkungagatan, Söderhamn (SoFo), an area buzzing with independent shops, quirky cafes and lively restaurants - meant compromising on living space. But despite measuring 44 m2 (473 f2)  - the occupants have made maximum use of every inch - carving out a kitchen, dining room, sitting room, master bedroom, children's room and even a library! So how do you create a charming family home in a small space? Here are 7 great tricks: 

1. Use the height: In small spaces it's important to think vertically and use every inch. In this home, bookshelves have been mounted above the dining area creating a family dining space and library in one! And it looks super cosy too, don't you think?

2. Leave a little breathing space! The blank space between the dining table and chairs and the bookshelves makes the space feel less cluttered even though there's a lot going on. 

3. Go wall to wall: built-in benches in dining rooms, kitchens and sitting rooms are perfect for small spaces since they help to maximise space, eke out a little extra seating and provide extra storage. 

4. Let the light flow: small spaces can be starved of light - widening doorways between rooms helps natural light to flow into even the darkest of corners! 

5. Use curtains for privacy: Sometimes there simply aren't enough bedrooms to accommodate every member of the family. In this lovely home, the living room doubles up as a master bedroom. A curtain helps to carve out a separate sleeping zone while still allowing the light to flow from the window. 

6. Internal windows: The little kitchen in this Stockholm home wouldn't have received any natural light had it not been for the glass room divider. At night, a curtain can help to shield the children's bedroom from lighting (we all know how important it is not to wake the crazies!). 

7. Create storage wherever you can: In this tiny bathroom, the tank top doubles up as storage and an extra freestanding unit has been installed for shampoo bottles, shower gel etc. 

I had another look through the pictures to see if I could establish where they keep clothes - and there are two storage cupboards in the hallway (not featured) - I wonder if they've stashed items in other unseen places too, like under the bed? 

Either way, there are so a many great ideas to steal from this home, don't you think?

Other small spaces providing great inspiration:

10 small space tricks to learn from a Swedish apartment

Small spaces, a dreamy Swedish pad!

16 ways to transform a tiny room into a dreamy, practical bedroom

Is your home small? What do you find the hardest thing about living in a small space? Have you got any space-saving tips? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

I'm excited to be winding my way up to Stockholm by train today to visit the Stockholm Furniture Fair. This post has taken me way longer than usual to write as the snowy scenery flashing passed the train window is simply stunning! If you're curious to follow my journey / time in Stockholm I'll be sharing away on Instagram stories. 

Ha det fint! 

Niki

This home is for sale through Historiska Hem. Photography: Anna Malmberg

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Scandi Travel: Our Family Stay in the Beautiful Stockholm Archipelago

Kindly sponsored by Vår Gård Saltsjöbaden

You might recall that Per and I stayed at Vår Gård Saltsjöbaden in the Stockholm archipelago back in February, and we loved our stay so much, we decided to go back with the girls last week! It's such a beautiful part of the world with so much to do. Here are a few snapshots from our four-day trip - I hope it might inspire you to visit this part of Sweden and enjoy day trips to Stockholm, kayaking, bike rides, the serenity of the islands and generally splashing about in the Baltic! 

Vår Gård

Second time round and Vår Gård Saltsjöbaden its starting to feel like a true home from home! The 128-room hotel is centred around a beautiful old manor house, overlooking the Baltic Sea. Located in beautiful Saltsjöbaden, it's an easy 40-minute train ride from Stockholm making it a perfect base to explore the excitement of Sweden's capital city as well as the tranquillity of the archipelago. A perfect balance! 

The rooms are located in u-shaped modern blocks around a central square with an outdoor gym (which the girls loved!). Our family of four stayed in a Junior Suite which had two connecting rooms. The hotel has a design focus (which of course, I love!) and every room is kitted out with beautiful wallpaper, designer lamps, soft linen covers, beautiful coffee table books and board games. 

Day 1 Stockholm

At the start of the summer, the girls had one wish - to visit Gröna Lund - a theme park by the water in central Stockholm. So, we headed into the capital for the day. 

 

I've been to Stockholm many times over the years. It's such a great city with so much to see and do. If you haven't been, leave plenty of time to enjoy the museums, galleries, historical sites and waterside restaurants and bars! This time, we kept it simple and wandered the picturesque cobbled lanes of Gamla Stan (old town) before heading along the waterfront to Gröna Lund.  

Per and I quickly found ourselves screaming our lungs out on Monster, Jetline and Twister - the theme-parks biggest and craziest rollercoasters before somehow being duped into going on the free-fall (did I tell you I'm  afraid of heights?). We all had so much fun, but admittedly I was grateful to be back on safe ground and making our way back to Vår Gård at the end of the day...

...for a refreshing evening dip! 

In the evening we tucked into fresh seafood (you can't visit the archipelagos and not enjoy the catch of the day / prawns / oysters etc) at the in-house restaurant! I also had the most delicious green tomato gazpacho (I have since found a recipe here in case you'd like to try it this summer!). 

Day 2 Cycle ride and SUP

I started each day with a coffee and breakfast overlooking the water. It was a perfect moment of calm before all the adventure! 

We borrowed the hotel e-bikes (they also have pretty classic bikes but since it was a hot day with plenty of hills we decided to go for the speedy variety!) and followed the coastal path around the bay (passing many incredible villas in Solsidan along the way - not to be missed for some 'life goals' dreaming!).  

We made our way to Tattby nature reserve (even spotting a couple of snakes along the way- in Sweden they have adders and grass snakes which are a rare sighting so it's quite incredible to see one, let alone two!) and a picnic and swim at Erstaviksbadet.  

We then peddled back to Vår Gård to enjoy some Stand Up Paddle boarding.   

It's hard to imagine the sea was partly frozen when we visited in February (the sauna offered a wonderful respite from the cold and we even caught a glimpse of the Northern Lights!) - on this trip the Baltic Sea sparkling in the sun and a lovely 20 degrees! 

Even so, Per went out on one of the hotel SUP boards in all his clothes - so confident that he wouldn't fall in. As you can imagine we were all watching from the bank hoping he might just lose his balance (what are families for otherwise?). 

Day 3 Kayaking around the islands 

Action packed holidays are perfect for families with tweens and teenagers (Liv is nearly 14 and Allie is 11) and there was so much to choose from. On day 3 we bought freshly made rolls from the in-house bakery, rented kayaks and paddled off to explore the surrounding islands.

 

We even found our very own island for a picnic and swimming! 

The rest of the day was spent hanging out by the water's edge... some more active than others! 

Spot the different tempo? 

There was ice cream involved too! 

The girls were excited to discover a cupboard full of lawn games, and every evening we rounded off with  'Kubb' - a classic Swedish game allegedly deriving from the Viking times involving wooden pegs you have to knock down. I'm pretty sure every Swedish family has their own rules, in ours, Per insists that you can only win if you throw the final pins between your legs. As you can imagine, it can take a while! 

Do you have a similar game on your country? 

All in all, such a lovely, relaxing few days simply being together as a family - I wish I could do it all over again. 

Could you imagine spending time here? If so, exciting news, I'm offering the chance to win a stay at Vår Gård this August! It's super quick to enter the prize draw over on my instagram (going live in the next few hours) and open to all. 

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Now that I'm back at my desk, I'm looking forward to sharing some beautiful Scandi interior inspiration with you on Wednesday. And then on Friday - I can finally share our new cabin bathroom! I hope you'll like it as much as we do! See you then! 

Niki

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