A Swede's Lovely Vintage-Inspired Home in the South of France

On Monday we took a peek inside the home of a Norwegian living in Portugal, today I thought I'd continue the 'scandi abroad' theme! 

Kristin Lagerqvist and her family divide their time between Varberg and Languedoc-Roussillon, South of France. You might recognise this already as I recently featured Kristin's French home. However, they have now moved to an even more beautiful home (if that was possible!). 

The story goes that Kristin was tasked with finding an Airbnb for one of her clients and stumbled across this townhouse. She instantly fell in love with it - telling her husband "if it ever comes on the market, we need to buy it". Sure enough, some time later, the property became available - and true to her word, they exchanged one week later. 

Remnants of the houses former life as a vineyard farmhouse are still evident from the barrels in the basement and the decorative floor tiles remain intact. Kristin and her husband have been careful to preserve the integrity of the house while making their own personal mark using vintage finds from nearby markets. Ready to take the tour? 

Bienvenue chez Lagerqvist! 

Kristin used what she could from the existing kitchen while giving it a lift with an IKEA worktop and units. 

The pair built this magnificent wall-mounted plate rack by hand before painting it in Kristin's signature blue. Get the know-how here. 

Perhaps my favourite room in the house - the sitting room is flooded with light from two directions and filled with lovely local finds. 

An accent wall with bare plaster adds a relaxed touch to the space. 

The house came with an orangery just off the kitchen - which will serve both as a sunroom and also a garden for herbs etc. 

Be still my beating heart! What a find! I can see why Kristin snapped it up, can you? 

Many swedes dream of having a winter home somewhere warmer and lighter in the winter - personally, I'd be happy to escape the cold and dark months of January, February and March and often mulling of where I'd rather be! Perhaps Mallorca? Or after seeing this, South of France could also be on the cards. Do you have a time of year in your country you'd be happy to escape from? 

You can see more pictures of Kristin's homes in Varberg (once featured on My Scandinavian Home here) and France over at @kricklin. 

Kristin also runs an online shop as well as workshops and is a real dab hand at gardening (I bought a copy of her book Livskraft Från Trädgård och Hav last Autumn and it's full of lovely ideas). 

Right folks, I'd better get going - I'm meeting my Australian friend to go and watch England V Australia in the women's world cup football (they're showing it on outdoor screens here in Malmö!). I've loved watching this world cup - have you been following too? 

Niki

Photographs: Kristin Lagerqvist, shared with kind permission.

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A charming home on Sweden's west coast

Happy Friday! Woohoo! Ive got a thing about Friday home tours - I feel a need to find a space I'd like to hang out in all weekend. Something homely, charming and personal. And just a little bit cool too. I This home fits the bill! Kristin Lagerkvist is the blogger behind Krickelin, owner of shop For Good Luck and a stylist and photographer. her creativity shines through in her previous home and now her wonderful new home which she shares with her family in Varberg on Sweden's west coast.  The space has been decorated with lovely vintage and antique touches, an abundance of art and a dramatic dark blue accent colour. Let's take a peak inside Kristin's world. 

Kristin Lagerqkvist - Elle Decoration

What a lovely, relaxed home, don't you think? So personal!

Get the look: Panton globe pendant lamp (over dining table), Thonet chair, macrame hanging plant holder, source a beautiful Beni Ourain rug here. I'm a big fan of antique rocking chairs with cane seating - this vintage one is lovely. Kristin painted the walls with Dijon which she added some black to. For a similar colour you could also try Stiffkey or Hague blue.
 
See more lovely pictures of her home over at Elle Decoration Sweden.

I also love this beautiful home of an artist / florist, also in Varberg. 

Other great links from around the web today:

How to make a super quick and simple cushion for a stool (DIY project for the weekend?!).

It looks like everyday is Friday in the cheerful studio of Joy Cho.

Thoughts on a radiator that pops?

What was I saying yesterday about avocado?! 

Speaking of food - I love this mouth-watering interview with Laura and Noma of beautiful blog Our Food Stories (check out this ice-cream....mmmm!).

If you're looking for some music to play on Spotify over the weekend I love Swedish singer Melissa Horn (such a beautiful voice and a current favourite!).

I hope you have a great weekend - any fun plans?

See you Monday! 

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A serene, white home with vintage pieces

Morning! I must say, I feel like a different person this morning after my wonderful weekend at Varberg Asia Spa. If you're in need of some R&R I could seriously recommend this incredible spa in Varberg, Halland on the Swedish West coast (do the over night package!). As a result, here's a beautiful, white, serene home from the UK which perfectly fits my mood this Monday morning. I love the vintage touches and Scandinavian feel (of course!).  I recognise the kitchen from the Delicious Miss Dahl cookery show featuring former model Sophie Dahl.

Via French By Design with thanks!

Oooh to sit on one of those chaise longue's in this day room and relax with a magazine in the sun light. IKEA's EKTORP chaise longue is like this. Wonderful!

PS - Thank you so much to Gosia from the wonderful blog Majology for nominating me for the Liebster Blog Award, you've made my day!

Have a lovely day!

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A Bright and Airy Portland Home in Sepia Tones

Gog morgon vännen! How was your weekend?! The official holiday month has started here in Sweden. Swedes everywhere are rushing off to summer cottages, mapping out road trips or simply wondering down to the nearest bathing desk in their dressing gown for a morgon dopp (morning dip!). We're currently in Varberg on Sweden's West coast (a bit of a surfer's spot) and I'm enjoying an hour's respite from my family (eeek, is that mean?! I do love them really, it's just that, you know, school holidays and all that...!). I thought I'd take an hour, pour myself a coffee and we could virtually transport ourselves to Portland Oregon and the home of assistant interior, prop stylist and interior designer Ezz Wilson, what do ya think?! Recently featured in Rue Magazine, Ezz's bright and airy home is delightfully sepia (cue: white with touches of tan, rust and ochre) with natural textures throughout. I caught up with Ezz to find out more about it!

Can you tell us a little about the history of the house? 

The house is a 100-year-old, former farmhouse that was turned into a multi-family building, and then back into a house, and then humbly patched and slap-dashed together before we moved in. So, needless to say, the layout is somewhat wonky! So much so that we almost didn't get the house. But it felt so cozy and charming that we decided to adapt to the layout as best we could. But there are days when you find a hidden chimney stack in the TV room wall or a mysterious doorway outline appears in the bedroom wall as the foundation settles over time and the drywall cracks and you think to yourself, "What on earth??" The size of the house is about 1500 square feet.

Stockholm 2017 chair, Chemex coffee maker*,  round basket bag*, The Scandinavian Home (so happy to spot this on Ezz's coffee table!). 

How would you describe your colour scheme?

Lots of whites, creams, and wood tones, but lately I'm adding some earthy colors like terracotta, rust, warm blush and ochre. I think that's about as wild as it's gonna get at my house! 

Kitchen from IKEA.

Peacock rattan headboard*, Natural and white striped pillow covers*, Tulip side-table* 

What inspires you?

I grew up in a sunny climate in the U.S., in a Puerto Rican family, and was heavily influenced by the Mediterranean and Caribbean, although I didn't care for those styles as a kid. If you told me that when I grew up, my house would end up full of rattan and wicker, I probably would've cried! When I was 19, I moved to Sweden for about six months, and I think that must have influenced my love for Scandinavian design as well. 

For a long time, I've felt that my style was the love child between a serene Swedish minimalist and a bohemian, beach-loving Spaniard, even though I wasn't sure how to execute that combination at first. But I finally narrowed in on what I really wanted this home to look and feel like. I need lots of white, calm and clean lines in my home to feel relaxed and clear-headed. Yet, I also need plenty of warmth, natural fibers and folky 70s vibes to get me through the long, dark winters of Portland and help me feel more connected to my roots and culture. 

I'm also very inspired by the design coming out of Byron Bay, Australia, as well as French magazines such as Maison Cote Sud, Toc Toc Toc Editions and Milk Decoration!

You have some beautiful pieces in your home, where do you shop?
I've found a lot of great pieces through my local thrift stores, Craigslist, World Market, Urban Outfitters and Target. I also love the following ethically minded companies: Fine Life Co - a beautifully curated shop in Arizona that mostly sells ethically made clothing but has some lovely ceramics too (and the shop owner Emily Benziger has a gorgeous home!), Bohemia Designs for Moroccan straw bags, stools etc and Bea Linen* for linen sheets.

Can you recommend three inspiring Instagram account 'must follows'?!

@audreyrivet, @bohemegoods, @taylorsterling. 

The loft space has been painted in the faintest hint of pink which goes beautifully with the rust coloured cushions!

Thank you so much for inviting us into your lovely home Ezz! 

If you'd like to see more pictures, check out Ezz's instagram feed and also issue 50 of Rue Magazine, for the full write-up! 

And for more 'sepia' home inspiration today I'm loving this cosy weatherboard cottage, white and warm brown tones in a lovely Swedish home and a soothing white and caramel home. 

I'm curious, is this your kind of scheme, or do you need more colour? 

Due to the (aforementioned) holiday here in Sweden my blogging is going minimalist and I'll be stopping in every other day instead of everyday (I hope that's OK?!). 

 Have a wonderful couple of days and see you Wednesday!

Niki

Photogtaphy by Chris Dibble for Rue magazine except pictures 4, 9 and 14 (taken by Ezz Wilson). 

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A Charming & Relaxed Swedish Home In Blue And White

Hejsan! It's one of those weeks where I'm constantly on the back foot - anyone else experiencing that? I'd never leave you high and dry without some beautiful interior inspiration though - besides this lovely Swedish space has been the highlight of my day! The blue and white colour scheme and relaxed nature of the space caught my eye. There's also a load to love - including the mix and match furniture, books, plants and art  which give the place in Kungsladugård, Gothenburg it's soul! I hope you feel as inspired as I do by this lovely home! 

It's so hard to find lovely old tables - but a close-up of this one reveals it's been handmade (possibly using IKEA legs and a door or other reclaimed item). So clever - and actually not that difficult to cobble together if you fancy doing something similar. 

The sitting room reminds me a little of the beautiful Varberg home of Kristin Lagerkvist 8(you can see a glimpse of her living room here). 

There are a few lovely things at play in the space above - including a wooden cabinet which has been painted in the same colour as the wall, Elfa shelves lined with books and other treasures and a simple grey sheepskin* draped over a mid-century chair - all of which make it feel personal and cosy!

So charming, don't you think?

Is there anything that stood out to you?

I'm still thinking about the Elfa book shelves (not just in the sitting room, but also in the hallway) - and wondering where I might be able to fit more shelving in my own home (so many books, such little time... and space!).

The blue and white theme has me thinking about the subtle coastal tones in this danish cottage, a striking blue and white Swedish home full of contrast and the details in this striking Danish house. Blue will always be one of my favourite shades - are you a fan too?

Right, better get on, so much to do! Eeeek!

Niki

Photography courtesy of Kvarteret Mäkleri

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