Urban Pioneer: Interiors inspired by Industrial Design

I absolutely love receiving a new book in the post, don't you? The smell of the pages, the anticipation of settling down a little later with a coffee in hand. And today is one of those days. The new book Urban Pioneer: Interiors inspired by industrial design by Sara Emslie has just landed on my doormat. There's something about the rawness of large, spacious rooms and the rustic feel of ex-industrial spaces that is simply awe inspiring. And Sara's wonderful book is packed with industrial-design inspiration, beautiful images and styling tips from homes set in the most magnificent buildings including: a warehouse in London, a former dockworker canteen in Amsterdam and a converted feather factory in Brooklyn. Here's a sneak peek......

This is just a small example of some of the lovely spaces inside....

Now all I need is a conversion of my own. I've always quite fancied a windmill (or even a lighthouse!), how about you?

Sara is a stylist and writer based in London (actually not far from where I grew up). You may recognise the name from her best selling first book: Beautifully Small: Clever Ideas for Compact Spaces (which I reviewed here).

You can pick up a copy of Sara's new book through Amazon here or order one through local bookstore.
 
Have a lovely day!

PS there's a very exciting give-away right now here (would hate for you to miss out!).

Book Credits
Urban Pioneer by Sara Emslie (Ryland Peters & Small, £19.99) Photography by Benjamin Edwards © Ryland Peters & Small

Home-owner credits:  
Pg.12 – Next Door’s Space by Carin Scheve and Francesco Caramella (open-plan space with concrete support columns)

Pg.36 – The London home of Peter Win (dining table with wooden drinks cabinet)

Pg.6 – The home of Louise Miller, available to hire through www.millerstyle.co.uk (kitchen with wooden benches)

Pg.94 – The home of Thomas and Bibi de Haas (galley kitchen beneath a mezzanine)

Pg.62 – The residence and studio of Jennifer and Liam Maher (aka Energy Plan Creative) (book shelf & 2x mannequins)

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Creating light in a Stockholm apartment

Monday! Let's start the week with an apartment styled by one of my favourite teams; Fantastic Frank. Very cool dining area aside what really catches my eye is the use of glass panels instead of walls to carry light through what otherwise could have been a fairly dark and poky apartment. Very inspiring. 

Fantastic Frank

Do you use glass dividers in your home? If I had my way I would definitely go for reclaimed warehouse windows as a room divider.

While I was on holiday last week, one of my favourite online stores and wonderful sponsor Nest posted a guest post by yours truly on how to get a Swedish style kitchen, you can pop by and see it here.

PS You can tell I haven't had my breakfast yet by the way I've included the sliced bread!

Have a lovely day!

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A Dated Home Becomes a Fresh, Modern Farmhouse

Ever since I stumbled across the portfolio of Pittsburgh based interior designer Leanne Ford and featured this incredible home, I've been a huge fan of her work! Leanne is currently the star, along with her brother and contractor Steve Ford, of Restored by the Fords on HGTV, which follows the siblings as they turn some of Pittsburgh's most dated buildings into magazine-worthy homes. Their latest project was to transform the Faraci family's pokey ground floor (made up of three rooms) into a fresh, open-plan space. I caught up with Leanne to find out more about the project...

What was the design brief?

I loved the Faraci family! They are so lovely and loving and their demands were rather simple! They wanted a simple and well designed home to be together as a family and to entertain in. The first floor of their house was separated by three walls when we got our hands on it. And of course, I removed them ALL. We wanted those in the kitchen to be able to see out the front window. And we wanted a more welcome communal living space for them.

What style were the family after and how did you achieve it? 

"They wanted a fresh and modern farmhouse style. We gave them all the classic fixings; subway tile, butcher block counters, classic white cabinets, open shelving, farm table down the center of the kitchen, simple design and decor. And I played with all of these features over the original and very beat up wooden floors. Though they started out as a kind of disaster to try to make them work, they ended up being my favorite feature of the home. Ain't that how it happens. The rough and vintage floor really adds life to the clean lines of the new kitchen." 

 Do you have a favourite feature from the make-over?  

That amazing modern "sculpture" of a stair case that Ed Zeiler from Wood N Wrench made us! We had to totally reconfigure where the staircase went after ripping walls out, so we played with the new "railing/wall" And made it a design feature.

 Did you experiment with anything new? 

"We did Board and Batton on the INSIDE of the home for a change. It was a simple and economical way to bring texture and character into this home. Over the coffee table you see a white chandelier that I TRIED to make... I would say this is one of those examples of letting art evolve...I certainly never set out to make the light look like that, but let's just say it really "wanted to" ;) The family made me feel better when they said it looks like something from the MOMA. I don't know about that, but... I'll take it!"

Photography: Alexandra Ribar

Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful make-over with us Leanne!

If you love this look and want to steal a few ideas (I certainly will be!) - here's a quick guide:

Get the look

1. Nuvo lighting, warehouse shade
2. Vintage chopping board
3. Glass cake stand
4. Natural linen napkins
5. L:A Bruket liquid soap
6. Drip Glaze 16-Piece Place Setting
7. Tour Eiffel brackets  
8. IKEA armchair with Bemz Loose Fit Country cover (get 15% off design covers for IKEA furniture at Bemz with code '15myscandinavianhome' until 11th Feb - ships worldwide!).
9. Woven basket pendant light
10. Sisal natural jute rug

Ahhh, so inspired by this space - the statement basket lamp, the asymmetry of the chairs and bench around the table, the open shelves. So much to love. I hope it's inspired you too!

Have a lovely day.

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Complete Source list:

Kitchen: Cabinets / Miter Box (custom built),  Farmhouse 3018 sink in pearl / Native Trails, Trinsic kitchen faucet in champagne bronze / Delta, White subway tile / Jeffrey Court,  Butcher Block countertop / IKEA. Cutting boards / Whitney Jurgovan of Kinsey Vintage market, Small white rug in bleached jute ivory / world market*, Wooden shelving with Tour Eiffel brackets / Anthropologie*,  Napkins and Tea towels, Parachute home, Vintage Mirror / Garden Style Living, wooden kitchen table / Weisshouse, Woven Basket Pendant / World market. Wooden chairs / 1stdibs. 

Family room (with fireplace): Cloud sofa in beligan linen natural / RH Modern,  Sisal natural jute rug / World market. White linen armchair / Weisshouse. Blue Tin Washer // Kinsey Vintage Market, coffee table / weisshouse, Metal Locker Boxes // Urge Studio.

Living room: White rug in bleached ivory jute / World market, Burlap sofa / Weisshouse,
wooden coffee table / IKEA, Chandlier custom made by Leanne, Green credenza / Urge Studio.

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A Finnish / Swedish children's creative space

I 'm re-arranging my little girls room ahead of a photo shoot later this month (eeek, so much to do, such little time!) and was so excited when my mini heart stickers arrived in the post yesterday. One aim is to provide a great space where they can sit and create with all their pens, paints (actually is that a good idea?! ha!), stickers and glue (hmmm?). I came across this fab inspiration from Ferm Living (created by Rikke and Emma) which fits the bill. This post is also dedicated to all the readers who've been patiently waiting for boys room inspiration (I see it as a perfect space for little guys or gals and actually big kids too don't you?). 

Styling: Rikke, Emma. Ferm Living

I spy Ferm Living pieces, the STOCKHOLM rug, String shelving and the Batgirl print.

What are your thoughts on black and white for a child's bedroom? Do you have any tips on creating a creative / work space?

For more rooms like this check out this, this and this room. And my favourite shops for children's items Nordic Think, Smallable and Bodie and Fou. Too tempting!

If you're looking for inspiration for your own work space my favourites include this industrial space, a norwegian / danish home office,  a converted warehouse and these beautiful vintage inspired creative spots. Which one of these would you choose?!

Have a lovely day and see you tomorrow!

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Workspace inspiration: the Everlane studio

Good morning Monday! If like me you're back at your desk today you might be looking around and thinking - not this place again?! In which case I've just the inspiration for you. This is the Everlane studio in San Francisco. For those of you not familiar with Everlane - they sell absolutely fab basics and sell them without middlemen and stores - with the philosophy 'Know your factories. Know your costs. Always ask why' (love that). Needless to say, there studio is equally great - set in an industrial warehouse building with polished floors, shades of grey and warm wood, the look is simple, clean and fresh. Perfect inspiration for the start of the working week?!

Photography: Luke Beard (shared with kind permission). Found via The Style Files with thanks.

Oh to work in a studio like this!

A tip on large plants for your space passed onto me by an interior designer recently....check out your local online secondhand stores to source large indoor plants. 

If you'd like to see a little more work space inspiration it's well worth checking out my 'studio' archive (don't miss the Danish carpenter's workshop and the creative studio of Katrin Bååth - firm favourites of mine!).....and loads more work space (including fab home offices, collectives and ateliers) here. You don't even have to feel bad spending time over it as it's all in the name of work, right?!

Even if there is nothing that can be changed about your workspace - I see from the Everlane website they're shipping international until 22nd November (usually they only ship to the US and Canada) - so there's a way to cheer ourselves up anyway!

By the way - this isn't a sponsored post - I just found their studio and shop so inspiring and had to share it! 

Have a wonderful start to the working week! 

PS Don't miss the free printable 2016 wall calendar.

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A Beautiful, Relaxed Home in Shades of Moss Green, White and Brown - Designed by Christine of @_forthehome

Long before they were married, Christine (AKA @_forthehome) and Shawn would find themselves spending their weekends decorating Shawn's teeny tiny starter home in Old Brooklyn, Cleveland, Ohio. It wasn't a planned thing, they would simply suddenly find they had paint brushes in their hands or were roaming a flea market or spending the day renovating an entire room! Fast forward several years and the duo have several renovations under their belt as well as a wonderful home full of treasured finds and an entire nursery of plants. Did I mention that they also have seven pets?! Welcome to the wonderful moss green, white, beige and brown world of Christine and Shawn! 

Christine spent a day painting the fireplace (AKA known as 'Mama'!) in a blend of greenblack and urbane bronze paint from Sherwin Williams. Love the results - and love the idea of putting my mind to a project and just getting it done - I've got SO many projects I keep putting off at home, how about you?! 

The Abstract 835* print is similar. 

Smeg fridge freezer, kitchen cabinets from Nostalgic Warehouse

We have the same rubber tree plant in our house - it was originally Per's grandfathers. I tell you - that thing can survive anything, and it grows so fast! It looks really pretty in the corner of this room!

Tiles from Daltile, cabinet from Arhaus

I'm currently working on a project with Velux and it's taught me so much about skylights and how they can completely transform a space. Look how they flood the bedroom with light! Do you have any in your home? 

There's a chance this picture is from Shawn and Christine's previous home, but I couldn't resist including it anyway as that mirror is absolutely beautiful! Little wonder it went completely viral on instagram! I've just seen it's on sale right now too - will someone snap it up on my behalf?! 

Such a cosy home! And it's really inspired me to get going on my own home. Hmmm. Where to start?!

See more pictures from Shawn and Christine's wonderful home and follow their latest styling projects on instagram (@_forthehome) and their blog www.forthehome.blog. 

While in Ohio - how about also checking out:

Off the grid: 'The Hut' in The Woods of Ohio

Step inside Jennifer Harrison's Bohemian Style Home 

I'm at home with Allie today as she's not feeling very well, poor thing! We're under a big blanket and it's raining outside  - I'm typing  - and she's watching her favourite YouTubers (do your kids only watch YouTube these days too?). Not very high brow, but kind of cosy for a Tuesday in sick bay!

Ha det fint! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of @_forthehome and www.forthehome.blog - shared with kind permission.

*Affiliate links

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