One of Norway's Most Beautiful Homes Is For Sale!

The Oslo home of Nina Holst is a bit of an institution. Instantly recognised for its clean lines, soft, muted colour scheme, sloped wood ceiling, scandinavian design furniture and fabulous views over the Oslo fjord - it's been at the heart of Nina's wonderful blog Stylizimo for years. And now, it's up for grabs! Yes, really! Not only does this mean one lucky person gets to move in (could you imagine?!), it also gives us a chance to see what Nina does next - which will no doubt be incredible! In the meantime, let's enjoy a tour of her Norwegian home, one last time! 

Egg chair*, I am not sure who this artwork is by (tips welcome) - but Nina creates and sells paintings in similar hues here.

Wishbone chairs, Kong oil lamp

Kubus candleholder

IKEA cabinet, series 7 arm chair, Limited edition PH 3/2 table lamp, source made to measure white linen curtains here*

Do you recognise this fabulous walk-in-wardrobe? I once wrote a feature about it: Tuesday DIY: A Fab Walk-In Wardrobe on a Shoestring.   

I will never tire of Nina's home - it's so simple, yet so serene and inspiring.

Could you imagine living here?

After my trip to Norway earlier this week, I'm certainly tempted!

It's for sale here. Just saying....

Fancy dipping into a few more Norwegian homes this weekend? How about a serene japan style home in western Norway, a Norwegian house by a fjord, an elegant Norwegian home in striking dark colours and a stunning Norwegian home in many shades of blue.

Got to love the Norwegian flair for interior design!

In the words of our Norwegian friends:

Ha en flott helg! 

Niki

PS I'll be stopping in tomorrow to share the latest update on my summer cottage kitchen renovation.

PPS It's been one crazy week, I'm so looking forward to a more chilled one next week (fingers crossed!) and spending a little more time on here. Is there anything in particular you'd like to see? If so, give me a shout below!

Photography: Nina Holst / Stylizimo shared with kind permission

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An Earthy Swedish Apartment Where Old Meets New

This Swedish apartment in Linnéstaden, Gothenburg fascinates me. It's contemporary yet traditional - urban yet country. And it's beautiful. Every room has its own subtle earthy tone which adds interest and an element of progression but also ensures a cohesivene look throughout. Keep an eye out for the rich patina in the sitting room and bedroom (I chatted about chalk and limestone paint the other day as I recently applied it to my bedroom wall).  In fact, keep an eye out for all the details - there's so much inspiration to be taken from this beautiful 60 sq m (645 sq ft), turn-of-the-century apartment! 

I once captured a similar glass cabinet in this corner of my home. I have a bit of a thing for these as they offer a beautiful way to ensure treasures and practical items stay dust-free while also on display. 

Notice the blend of furniture in the corner above which ticks every trend - rattan (set to continue for the foreseeable future), a marble 'sculptured' table and an arched mirror. 

Arched mirrors are a big micro-trend right now - so much so that I think I might just create a post around them, what do you think? It looks pretty in this corner - and helps to bounce light into the room from the window. But they also look great propped up against the wall in the hallway, landing and bedroom (if young kids are about always attach the mirror to the wall). 

While the cabinet has a traditional feel, the Alma wall light brings the look bang up to date. I have actually been thinking of getting a light like this too - I've been a big fan ever since seeing it in the danish home of Marianne Jacobsen. 

It's hard not to notice the texture on the bedroom wall. The effect has most likely been created with chalk paint paste using a spatula. It adds a LOAD of interest and depth to a room, however this look might be too much for some. What are your thoughts? 

I love how a simple linen curtain has been hung in front of the wardrobe. Not only do curtains add softness to a room, but they're also a great way to dampen sound, hide items or provide makeshift wardrobe doors. The only problem is, I know that in our hose no one will ever close them - the crazies have a hard enough time opening the curtains in front of the windows! Grrrr! 

Love the William Morris hallway wallpaper, it adds so much character, don't you think! A lovely entryway to come home to each day!

Is there anything that stands out to you?

If you're in love with the space - good news, it's for sale! You can see more pictures and find out all the details over at Alvhem. 

Right, I'd better hurry, due to family circumstances I am flying to London in a few hours time and have so much to organise (I haven't even packed yet - but I do have my double vaccination certificate and my negative test so that's a good start!).

Wishing you all a happy midweek! See you Friday!

Niki 

Photography: Henrik Lindén

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A Christmassy Swedish Home / Rune's cosy Norwegian home

NOTE Did you come here looking for Rune's Christmassy Norwegian Home? If so - you can find it here! Sorry for the link error in my newsletter! 

Today I'm taking you on a journey to Vendelsö in the suburbs of Stockholm - and the lovely, warm home of interior stylist and set designer Elin Wallin. Long-time readers might recognise glimpses of this living space from a post I shared back in 2018. Since then, Elin, her live-in partner, and daughters Indra (13) and Edda (9) have continued to make this lovely, light and airy open-plan living space their home. 

Think warm brown tones, beautiful dark wood and pretty Christmas decorations as well as some clever room makeovers, vintage up cycling and amazing IKEA hacks - all of which have helped to transform the house into a home. 

The cabinet is a clever IKEA Hack. Elin picked up the Pax cupboard on Facebook marketplace and added the wood corner pieces before painting all the wood in the same tone. A simple twist which makes all the difference! Plus, it was no doubt a bargain to buy! 

I love the pink paper Christmas flower too! 

There's nothing like a roaring fire in wintertime, right?

Beside the fire is yet another IKEA second hand bargain - which Elin bought two for the price of one. They were already 'hacked' when she bought them (someone has stuck vertical strips of wood to the front and then painted the entire unit) for a designer look! Clever. 

Recently Elin replaced the coffee table for a marble one that she picked up second hand. But not without a DIY makeover of course! 

Before

After

It's quite incredible what you can do with someone else's cast offs,  a little vision and some great craftsmanship, don't you think? 

Walk-in-wardrobe before 

I recognise this scene from my own home not long ago (feel so much better now that I have a proper grown-up wardrobe!). Elin took matters into her own hands in her house too - and scoured online second hand sites for Nordli storage from IKEA - before piecing together the different units, lightly sanding them down and painting the same colour (Strand by Alcro). 

The result:

Is it even the same room? What a transformation - and all bought for a song too! 

In the master bedroom, Elin has placed a Fan Shaped rattan headboard against wallpaper from Sandberg and a pretty Table Tropez light. 

Simply lovely - and so inspiring too. Is anyone else dying to get their hands on a second hand IKEA piece now? I might just go on marketplace and see what I can find! 

See more of Elin's home and follow her instagram for all her latest projects. 

Would you like to see a few other ikea hacks today? 

5 Clever IKEA hacks to steal from a Danish home

A Swedish home with a clever ikea hack and small pink bedroom!

Our little cabin kitchen with an ikea hack

Come here for some Scandi Christmas inspiration? There are lots of lovely ideas in the Christmas archive (if this post pops up first just scroll past!). 

Wishing you all a great day! I'll be back on Friday with aa glimpse into the kitchen and dining area of our cabin with 'Jul' touches, hopefully see you then!

Niki

Photography: Elin Wallin, shared with kind permission

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Sara's fabulous 'funkis' house in Malmö, Sweden

A few Friday's ago I packed up my photography equipment and nipped over to the other side of Malmö to spend the day with Sara Hallin Sandström. Sara is a Master of CMF (Colour Material/ Finish) at Electrolux and co-producer of Colour Therapy (along with Tina - who's beautiful home I featured here) and lives with her husband Nicklas - an Art Director (and ex colleague of mine - it's a small world!) and their gorgeous sausage dog Kakan in a funkis house from the 1930's. We had a brilliant day, including chats and laughter over a fika (coffee and a small treat) and capturing the details from Sara's wonderful home. I hope you enjoy the tour! 

Tell me about your beautiful house:
Our house was built in 1934 for families working at the nearby airport (Bulltofta, closed in the 1970’s). At that time, it was made up of two apartments with a shared bathroom, laundry room (in the basement) and garden.

What drew you to the house?  

We really love the architecture and the structure. It was made in the early days of the “funkis” (functionalist design) era and this is visible in the details of the house. The very rational structure and the big windows are very “funkis”, while the decorative details inside are more inspired by the 1920’s style. We liked that the house was left in its original state with a lot of original details. We also love the location of our house, it is a cosy, bohemian neighbourhood within walking distance of the city center. And of course, that we have our own garden with several fruit trees (original from 1934) and space to grow our own vegetables.

Have you carried out any major renovations? Yes, we re-made the kitchen and built a modern bathroom next to our master bedroom. But we have also kept the original bathroom with a tub in the basement. When we made the new kitchen, we removed a wall to open up the kitchen towards the entrance of the house, we hired carpenter Christer Bentmon to build a custom-made kitchen inspired by the original but with modern functionality. I painted the kitchen in a traditional, ecological paint made of eggs, linseed oil and pigment. We want this kitchen to live as long as the previous one, for more than 80 years!

How would you describe your interior style?
Eclectic, I like to mix new with old things and things from home with things from other cultures.

How would you describe your colour palette?
Colourful Scandinavian - we have lots of colours in our house but they are all quite muted and not too loud (very Scandinavian!) and work well in combination with other colours.

What tips do you have for anyone looking to introduce colour into their home?  
Dare to be personal. Go for what you like and don’t care too much about trends. But it's always a good idea to try the colour on a small part of the wall before you buy a big bucket. Colours change a lot depending on the light in the room, but that's also the beauty with it! Our grey colour in the living room is shifting from warm to cold depending on the time of the day and the season.

***

Thank you so much Sara, Nicklas and Kakan for inviting me into your home - what a fun and truly inspiring day. I think I need to go and fix a walk-in-wardrobe for myself now - how much would you love a room like this in your house?!

Get the look from Sara's home:

Kitchen - cabinets painted in Ovolin (code 5-632), Sara made the pendant lamp using the
HÖLJES Pendant lamp from IKEA, gold electric cable from a local store and this brass vase which she drilled a hole in.

Dining room - the Olle Alberius for Orrefors lamp was a wedding gift to Sara's parents from her grandparents

Sitting room - the round mirror is an antique (from Bukowskis) - this one is similar (see our mirror round-up here!). Sofa from Bolia, Isamu Noguchi coffee table. Book shelves from IKEA (painted the same colour as the wall: Lin from Alcro). Vase on shelf from Stilleben, Copenhagen.

Walk-in-wardrobe - storage baskets from H&M home, Ilva rug, clothes rails from Vore. This, this and this stand are ideal for jewellery.

For more inspiration check-out Sara's blog and instagram feed!

....And that's me done for the week here on the blog! We're enjoying our last couple of days in Spain before I head to London to celebrate the new limited edition Nespresso Variations Confetto collection in collaboration with artists Craig and Karl (candy inspired coffee blends - What's not to love?!) at the Regent Street boutique on Monday night (keep an eye on Instagram Stories!).

I hope you've got some fun plans over the next couple of days?

Have a wonderful weekend and see you Monday!


Photography - Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home. Design / home-owner: Sara Hallin. Styling support from Tina Lekeberg.

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