A Light-filled Apartment on Sweden's West Coast

I always read every single one of your comments (both here and on Instagram and Facebook) - It's so interesting and fun to hear your thoughts, tips and ideas. Yesterday Roxanna requested a home with colour to brighten up her winter in Slovenia (where the mercury hit minus 23 yesterday - BRRRRR!). I totally get it (the weather can be decidedly monochrome here at the best of times) but I really couldn't resist sharing this home with you first - err, do hints of pale mint, terracotta, and gold count? Probably not, but this home inspired in part by the Artilleriet studio (as read on Trendenser and looking at the pictures I can totally see why!) will hopefully brighten up your day all the same! 

There are some lovely pieces in this light-filled kitchen including a Moravia Star light, Era chairs, and Lampe Gras wall sconce. 

 

I love an internal window - they're idea for slipping light into dark areas. In one of the homes in my book The Scandinavian Home, an old warehouse window had been installed for this very purpose and it looked beautiful!

The Suspension Vertigo light reminds me of a hat - it's kind of cool. The bigger the better in my mind! The Atollo table lamp seen on the table in the far corner is far more subtle with it's clean lines, but also cool in its own way! You can pick up a Beni ourain rug from this lovely Etsy shop.

Photography: Anders Bergstedt for Entrance.

 

Although a little wet looking in this picture, I'm thinking better weather is around the corner and we'll also be able to hang out on our balcony (with blankets!) any time soon! 

 

Stay warm (unless you live somewhere like Oz right now, in which case I'll send a refreshing cold blast your way!).

PS this lovely apartment is for sale  - in case you fancy a move to Gothenburg - you'll have the beautiful archipelago on your doorstep too? Just saying! 

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A bright and cheerful Dutch family home

Oh do I have a refreshingly bright, cheerful family home to share with you today. Located in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Lenneke and Joey's charming townhouse is like a little ray of sunshine (much needed on a grey morning in Southerm Sweden I must say!). The pair decorated the home from scratch using several bucket loads of white paint, cheerful second hand pieces and a lorry load of love and patience. The result is a lovely, warm home with a unique signature style.

Photography: Jansje Klazinga, Styling: Emmy van Dantzig.  Shared with kind permission.

Such a lovely space don't you think? I always think The Dutch have a wonderful knack for injecting colour into a home, and this family has proved it once again!

Items in Lenneke and Joey's home I know and love: Dining - Eames chairs, gold / kilim cushions, Tripp Trapp children's chair. Sitting room - Beni ourain rug, this beautiful black vintage scissor lamp is similar, pick up a vintage industrial stool here. Hallway - rustic bench, panama hat, Swedish Kånken rucksack, little yellow and white children's boots. Bedroom - pink linen bedding, lovely throw with pom poms (also seen in this fab bedroom).

You can see more pics of this charming home over at VT Wonen here.

Jansje came to photograph my home a few years ago and it was such a fun, memorable day! Here are some more homes she's captured and I've featured: Valentina Fussell's lovely Copenhagen home, a Dutch home in a former kindergaten, and a home in The Netherlands with red floors (you'll be pleasantly surprised!).

A few other links I love today:

Five ways to add character to a kids room.

Sitting room storage by String (and a new way to add plants to the home). 

How to make drawer pulls from just about anything (our bathroom cabinet hasn't had door handles for several months now - looks like some craft DIY is in order!).

And finally - black bedding? Why not! (This set is on sale.... just saying!).

How to get Scandi-style for your interior by Amara (including a quote from yours truly....:).

Have a wonderful day!

PS Thank you so much to My Warehouse Home for a great review of my book (I'm going to have to pick-up your latest edition, it looks fab!). 

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Ordinary attic to a fab work studio in Holland

Do you see work as a necessary evil or hop out of bed like the joys of spring on a Monday morning (actually, does that person actually exist - I mean on a Tuesday yes, but a Monday?!). Either way, most of us have to put our heads to the grindstone for quite a few hours each week - so we may as well make it a happy place!  It was in this vain I decided to share the home studio of (the very lovely) Holly Marder from Avenue Lifestyle blog in The Haague. Holly recently transformed an ordinary attic room into a flexible, mutli-functional and inspiring modern space where she can sit and work and meet clients. Oh and did I mention it's packed full of Dutch and Scandinavian pieces, vintage finds and the odd French masterpiece?

All photography / design / styling: Holly Marder. Shared with kind permission.

It's really not surprising that Holly has created such a fab space, that girl is sooo talented (see her recent bedroom make-over here, and some of the homes she's styled here, here and here)! Even so it's incredible what you can do with an attic room....I might just have to set up a meeting so I can go and hang out there for a day or two...

Is this your kind of studio?

Tips on where items are from: wooden push pins (moodboard) / vintage persian rug / Natural rug / Iumi Steckdesign pendant light / IKEA Docksta table / side cabinet is BESTA from IKEA which has been souped up with doors, brass handles and top from Superfront / Buy similar hanging planters here (20% discount with code MSH20 right now) / Isaac plug-in Sconce task light in brass / Nude study oil on canvas (Henri Matisse) / ALEX desk storage.

Take a peek at the complete before and after. 

More lovely studios / work spaces include this industrial warehouse, a Danish / Norwegian space and and a entire moodboard here. And for the kids - I love this cute black and white creative corner.

Have a lovely day!

PS back by popular demand - the archive labels (to the left), I've realised over the past three years I've posted over 1200 home tours!! Crazy! 

PPS Thank you so much to Elegance magazine who listed me in their top ten favourite European design blogs!! Such an honour!

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An awe-inspiring factory conversion

Good news! It's Friday! I hope you've totally rocked the working week or simply powered through everything you had to do - in which case you totally deserve one of these  - skål! Since I'm on a bit of an industrial-style role (with a feature of this fabulous converted warehouse and a review of Sara Emslie's book Urban Pioneer in the last two days alone), I thought I'd complete the week with one final industrial space.  Elze, behind beautiful blog Everything Elze, captured this magnificent home in a former Philips factory in Eindhoven just before the owner Lieke moved out. Simple cognac, wood and black furnishings allow the original features of the building including the vast windows and high, concrete ceiling to take centre-stage, while natural textures and plants bring the living space to life. 

What an incredible place to live, don't you think?!

Photography: Elze / Everything Elze

Could you imagine having the space to have not one but three massive industrial pendants over the dining table?!(They remind me a lot of the ones from my favourite Copenhagen restaurant - Höst which I featured here). Any tips on where to find lamps like these? By the way, I was so pleased to get your tips on the armchair in this post - thank you!

Get the look from Lieke's home: source vintage school chairs here. I love this cognac leather sofa. cross blanket. This lovely jump suit is similar as is this leather satchel.

You can see the full tour here and keep up to date with Lieke's latest projects on instagram here. And if you fancy it, there are plenty of converted factories to drool over here (this artist's home is one of my favourites - isn't it amazing?! Love the "Nobody panic, I know origami and pilates" bag!).

It's been a while since I shared a little link love, and there's so much wonderful inspiration out there right now I think it's about time, don't you?!

A cheerful Swedish designer's home.

Love this post by Danielle Witte - that side table!

A romantic, rustic touch in the bathroom.

This Swedish country-style home tour.

A tiny house.

5 interior instagrams to follow - you might just recognise one of them ;)

Feel free to share your tips in the comment section below!

Have a great weekend!

PS Don't forget to enter the give-away!

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Peek Inside Curate - A Beautiful New Coffee Table Book

In the past I've shared many boutique hotels styled by Lynda Gardener - including The White Room, The Apartment St Kilda and The Estate Trentham - and it's safe to say, I'm a huge fan of the Australian interior designer's work. As soon as I caught wind of a book, I knew it was going to be a good one! The beautiful new tome Curate is the result of a lockdown collaborative project between Lynda and photographer extraordinaire Marnie Hawson in Australia as well as talented stylist and writer Ali Heath in the UK. Read on to find out more and take a peek inside! 

Ali and Lynda share a mutual love of monochrome interiors and take great joy from natural imperfections and treasured finds - concepts that pour from every page. 

The opening chapter starts you off on an inspiring journey to curate a meaningful home, covering eight core elements: palette, nature, textiles, lighting, the blend of old and new, storage, collections and art.

You're then gently led through through a series of drool-worthy interiors which include a converted warehouse, bijoux apartment, historic cottage, country estate, a new-build barn, period townhouse and rural retreat. 

Each interior is peppered with breakout ideas, encouraging you to ignore trends and start to curate a timeless home full of pieces you love. 

All in all, a wonderful Autumn read, and a great pressie for friends who share a passion for timeless interiors! 

Curate is available online and local book stores (even if your local book store doesn't stock it, they're usually happy to order a copy - the same goes for local libraries!). 

Congratulations to Lynda, Ali and Marnie on a beautiful book. 

If anyone's looking for me today, I'll be on the sofa, leafing through the pages!

Niki

 

Credits; 

Pictures 2, 3, 4, 5:

Concept, text, creative direction, image layout: Ali Heath

Styling and creative direction: Lynda Gardener

Photography: Marnie Hawson

First published by Octopus Books, June 2021

Pictures 1 & 6:

My Scandinavian Home

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Before & After: A Derelict Classroom Becomes An Incredible Kitchen!

Hello friends! Boy, have I got something inspiring to share with you today! I admire many people in the design world. But there are two people in particular, I am constantly in awe of: Laura Muthesius and Nora Eisermann of Our Food Stories. Everything this lovely couple touch turns to gold - from a Berlin warehouse and German countryside apartment to a beautiful cottage kitchen in Sweden. And now, they've turned their hands to a former schoolhouse in rural Germany. When they got the keys to the property a few months ago, it had been empty for decades and the interior was, shall we say 'rustic' to say the least! So much so, many would have run a mile, myself included. But fortune favours the brave and these two had a vision - which, with a lot of hard work, would become a dream reality! 

The exterior and interior was in dire need of some TLC, with many of the original features stripped away - including the windows, which had been replaced with cheap reproductions. 

Working as a food stylist and photographer (with over one million followers on instagram, no less!), Laura and Nora were keen to create a large kitchen from which to work, film and live. The pair set about tearing out a small bathroom to recreate the original classroom area. 

They were hoping to find a wood floor lurking beneath the layer of concrete but sadly, when they peeled it back, it had been destroyed so they laid a new oak wood parquet floor. They also swapped out the modern windows and replaced them with replicates of the original windows from Sorpetaler Fensterbau.

Fortunately, they were able to bring their Devol kitchen from their previous country apartment, which they supplemented with extra units to capitalise on space. 

One of the features I love the most is the vintage arched door, which Nora sourced online - WHAT A FIND!!!!

The kitchen units and worktops were planned around the natural light which pours in through the large windows. 

They installed a Bertazzoni cooker (which will no doubt play a major part in their delicous cake creation moving forward!). 

An incredible DeVol marble sink matches the countertop which was custom-made by MCR. 

Matt limewash paint from Bauwer Color was applied to the walls (Ibiza) and ceiling (Smokebush).  

And finally, the pair installed a mantel piece and a DeVol freestanding pantry cupboard on the opposite side of the kitchen. 

I love glass cabinets - they're a perfect way to display pretty kitchen items while keeping them dust free (a big problem with the open shelves under my kitchen island!). 

All-in-all one, a really incredible kitchen, don't you think? Trust this pair to create such a unique and original, timeless kitchen!

You can keep to date with their latest recipes on @_foodstories and interior projects over at @_designtales_. They've also shared more info about this kitchen reno here - and if you're curious, you can take a peek at their cosy Swedish cottage kitchen here. 

And if you're looking for more kitchen inspiration today - check out: 

Before and after: a beautiful handmade kitchen on a budget

A Swedish kitchen gets a DIY make-over

Our summer cottage galley / narrow kitchen make-over

Have a wonderful start to the week friends! 

Niki

Photography: Nora Eisermann & Laura Muthesius / Our Food Stories - shared with kind permission. 

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