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.

****

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.

READ MORE...

5

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!

READ MORE...

3

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.

READ MORE...

4

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

READ MORE...

2

The colourful home of an artist

Doesn't the start of the weekend make you happy? To me it means sunshine (hopefully) the great outdoors (definitely), family, friends and a little freedom (most certainly) and also time to be creative (I've promised myself to do more of this lately). But this Melbourne based artist Kirra Jamison doesn't need to wait for the weekend. Her job is creating beautiful, bright pieces of art and her home is a converted warehouse filled with colour and bold patterns that in itself is a little ray of sunshine. Who needs the great outdoors?!

Stylist: Jason Grant Photography: Derek Swalwell for Inside Out Magazine,  Artwork Kirra Jamison via Avenue Lifestyle

What a fantastic space?!

I love an indoor swing. I'm always trying to think where I could put one in our home but yet to come up with the right spot (I'm thinking muddy feet on the walls.....broken vases.....at best! ha!) - what do you think of swings in the home - do or don't? Do you have one?

Have a wonderful weekend  - see you Monday!

READ MORE...

10

Make-over: A Magnificent Berlin Studio

I think it's time for a new mini make-over episode, how about you?! This time I thought we'd head to Berlin and the awe-inspiring studio of Our Food Stories and Design Tales (take a look at previous before + afters in the series here and here). The brainchild of creative duo Laura and Nora, Our Food Stories is a culinary feast for the eyes and has garnered a following of close to 1 million Instagram followers who stop by each day to get recipes (read more about the pair and their work and take a look inside their homes in this interview). Let's dive in and find out how they transformed the first floor of a derelict warehouse into a stunning studio for cooking, food styling, photography, workshops and events.

Oh and thank you so much to the series sponsor Builders Bay - an amazing online marketplace for builders, renovators and DIYers where you can buy and sell surplus materials, architectural salvage and ex display stock! Perfect!



Our Food Stories started out five years ago from a small studio in the countryside, one hour drive from Berlin. The tranquil setting was wonderful since it offset the stresses and strains of setting up a business, "It really rescued us, since the first years of building up our own company have been so stressful." However, the blog became increasingly popular and they eventually grew out of it. "It made sense to look for somewhere closer to home, so in the summer of 2015 we started to look for a Studio in Berlin."

Since natural light is a key element in their photography, it was important to find a space with at least one North facing window. Known as 'reflected light', north light is popular among artists since it bathes the subject in the same cool ambience throughout the day - giving artists and photographers greater control over their work (this has got me thinking about using the North facing windows in my home more!). The space would also need a high ceiling to fit their enormous tripod!



The pair went to view another property which wasn't quite right. However, from the window they spotted a building 500 metres away and immediately fell in love with the windows and the building which combined "nice and neat with old school charm". They passed by on spec and found that the first floor was still empty and had the perfect light (two north-facing windows) and height. Result!

 "When we saw the space for the first time we just could not believe it was still available to rent! The first thing we did was check the point of the compass and the second time we visited we brought some flowers and did a little test photo shooting."



Despite the incredible shell, the space was in desperate need of renovation. The walls were yellow, and some walls didn't even exist. It also had no bathroom.

Thankfully they would need to do little in the way of renovating themselves.

"If you rent a studio or flat in Germany the landlord has to give it to you in a good (renovated) condition. As a renter you don't normally have a big influence on the renovation, but luckily we could decide on a lot of the details, which we are very thankful for. "



The landlord prepped and painted the walls (white) and, at the request of Laura and Nora, installed an incredible concrete floor.

The original eight metre high ceiling was something of a photographers dream but they were warned by the landlord that their heating bill would be astronomical if they kept it and a result it was lowered by several metres. 

"We would never have lowered it, but the landlord told us that it would have been impossible to keep the space warm in the winter because the roof has no insulation."  

Overall though, the duo are delighted with the results of the renovation.



The pair used furniture and lighting to divide the vast room into a series of zones: "we created different corners, which allow us to create different set ups." But they were also keen to keep the space pared-back and clutter-free. "It’s very important to have a space that is not too packed, so when it gets messy during photo shootings, you still have enough space."

Being food stylists and photographers, the kitchen was a major focus. The pair spent a lot of time thinking about which kitchen to install, in the end settling on a kitchen from Frama. "It perfectly fits the industrial surroundings, we are so in love with it!"

Despite the white finish, Laura and Nora are pleased that they can see the outline of the original brick wall. The lines / texture also help to break up the empty expanse.



The pair had free reign to paint some of the walls and used paint from KABE Copenhagen to add nuance and texture. "We just chose by intuition which wall should get which colour."

 This mammoth tripod is one of the reasons they needed a studio with such a high ceiling!

"The way we choose the style of the interior comes naturally and is also kind of indirectly dominated (in a good way) by the space itself, its aura and its architectural character."

 "We love the mix of old and new! Our home in Berlin is more modern, with new danish design interiors, our home in the countryside more rustic, but also with a modern influence and our studio is kind of a mix of both with industrial elements."

"Some of the vintage furniture is from Ebay and a lot of the old tables and lamps were bought from J&V and Urban Industrial."

"We are so grateful and happy to work in this wonderful space."

Just WOW!! This is my absolute dream (I wonder if they need a kitchen hand - or even someone to do the washing up?!). Could you imagine settling in here each day?

In case you're looking to create something similar at work (or home), here's the low down on some of the items:

GET THE LOOK

1. Studio Kitchen - Frama
2. Semi Professional Coffee Machine
3. Gubi table
4. Marble Speakers
5. Midgard Workshop Lamp
6. Linen Kitchen Towels
7. Vienna Chairs
8. Adam Barstol
9. Enamel Factory Light
10. Chopping Board



The pair love to collaborate with other local talents. This incredible pampas cloud installation created by Mary Lennox spread across Pinterest like wildfire back in the autumn (it's easy to understand why!). 

But the key focus remains on the pairs passion for food so I was dying to know if the girls had a favourite recipe! I was told this was an extremely tricky question, since they love them all, but at a push Laura would go for the gluten free quince cheesecake with meringue and Nora the gluten free poppy seed cake.

Sound good to me!

For more mouth-watering recipes you must follow these ladies over on their blog and instagram: @ourfoodstories, and @designtales for interior inspiration! They also have a beautiful book available here.

Which leaves me with one question. Hands up who'd love to work from a studio like this and eat lots of cake?!

Thank you so much to Laura and Nora for showing us their studio! 

Have a wonderful weekend!



  
 All Photography: Courtesy of Our Food Stories / Design Tales.

* All words are my own, and I only ever work with brands and services I feel are of interest to my readers. This post also includes affiliated links which means that I make a very tiny amount of money (perhaps enough for a coffee and a choccy biccy from each post!) if you click or buy items. Thank you for supporting the businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible.

READ MORE...

6