Our kitchen - And the Perfect Danish Counter Stool!

MSH partnership*

Do you have a kitchen island? We added one when we first moved in over ten years ago. Little did we know it would become the hub of the home. It's used as a breakfast bar, a place to catch up after school / work, and a relaxed gathering place for friends (although there hasn't been so much of the latter lately, unfortunately!).  One of the trickiest things about a kitchen island though, is getting the stools right. What height? Should they have a back? Well friends, after a lengthy search, the B's might just have found 'the one' - thanks to Danish brand Skovby! 

Say 'hej' (pronounced 'hi') to the Skovby Counter Stool #808. 

Nerd alert: I'm about to share a little info about the height - which is helpful if you're sourcing a counter / bar stool but maybe not if you've just come here to enjoy a little inspiration today!

The height

It turns out, I wasn't looking for a bar stool (my initial search words!) - but a 'Counter Stool' - which tend to be 12 cm - 15 cm (5 to 6 inches) lower (although Skovby does do a nice Bar Stool too). It's also important to feel comfy - which means you want a clearance of around 22 cm - 30 cm (9 to 12 inches) between the seat and underside of the countertop. The seat on this stool is 65 cm high - allowing for just over a 22 cm gap, I'd see that is the absolute minimum requirement, but it totally works for our family. 

Comfort and design

Having lived in Scandinavia for more than 17 years (where did the time go?) - I'd never compromise on form over function. I'm also keenly aware that people tend to linger on stools longer than you think (just ask my younger daughter Allie!). With this in mind, I do love a backrest! The shell seat and back on this counter stool is crafted from the same piece of white oil oak veneer. And although it looks beautifully slim, it's also incredibly strong (it's internationally certified for use in cafes, restaurants, office buildings etc). The chrome footrest is also super practical. Trust the Danes to get it just right! 

Sidenote: in a couple of these pictures, I've shown a counter stool at the end of the island - in practise we never actually place one there as the island is only designed for two stools on the longer side. I was just exercising a little artistic license so you could see the stool from the back! 

Allie's favourite spot - she sits here for breakfast, a cup of tea (she is half English after all!) - and to chat to us about her day and what she's done at her gymnastics! 

I hope you enjoyed these snapshots from our kitchen - and the Skovby Counter Stool #808. 

I feel so honoured to call Skovby a long-term partner - in case you're curious about other beautifully crafted items I've put to the test, check out the following: 

Per's new home office / workspace

Skovby glass cabinet in the corner of my sitting room

Here's to Danish craftsmanship and beautiful design! 

In case you're interested in one or more of these fine specimens for your own home, you can find your nearest Skovby retailer here. 

Curious about other items seen in these pics of my kitchen? Give me a shout below and I'd be happy to help!

Wishing you a lovely day friends! 

Niki

*This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Skovby. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too! Thank you for supporting the wonderful businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible. 

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My spring office update

Hello there. I love this time of the year - all the leaves unfurling on the trees, the fresh spring colours appearing in the shops and a wonderful abundance of light! Yay! I felt it was about time I dusted down the cobwebs at home and gave it a bit of a spring clean - beginning with my workspace.  I started with a much needed de-clutter and then added a few natural textures such as stone and leather as well as a plant (thought to increase happiness and productivity - worth a shot right?!). But the most exciting update is my new 'the MANTIS' lamp from Houseology. I can't tell you how long I've had my eye on this beauty! Designed in 1951 by Bernard Schottländer, the mantis DCW BS3 table lamp is part of a collection which also includes a ceiling, floor and wall lamp. I've always loved the helical shape of the lampshade, and specifically with the table lamp: that it can be adjusted to three different heights depending on how direct/ where you need the lighting. Perfect! Here's a sneak peak of my updated work space.... I hope you like it!

Photography: Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home

And not a row of coffee cups in sight!

You might already be familiar with online interior shop Houseology since we often collaborate. Not only do they stock many of my favourite Nordic design pieces from brands such as Design House Stockholm, &Tradition and Muuto, they also offer interior design ideas, advice and inspiration - so helpful!

I'd love to hear which items you love to surround yourself with at work?!

Have a great weekend!

PS Please ask away if you'd like to know about where anything in my office is from. 

PPS See a load more  fabulous offices/  studios etc here. 
 
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This post was brought to you in collaboration with Houseology. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with business I love and think you will too. Thank you for supporting the businesses which make My Scandinavian Home possible.

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Before & After: My Office Make-Over

Do you work from home? I've been sitting at my little desk in the corner of my bedroom for just over two years now. There are many pluses and minuses of working from home, but one of the things I truly love is having total autonomy over how my work space looks - no LED strip lights in sight! So why hadn't I done anything to spice it up (I mean, really spice it up) for over six years?! The thing is, there's nothing wrong with my office (it even appeared on the front cover of a book once upon a time!) but it began to feel well, a bit tired and I had started migrating to the kitchen table or a nearby café instead (they do serve great chocolates muffins so it's kind of understandable!). A friend of mine from Greenland told me recently that if you're not using the space for the purpose it's set out for, you need to re-think it. Wise words indeed! It was time to make a change...

Before

The Area

My home office occupies a corner in between the stairs and balcony at the far end of our bedroom on the very top floor of our house. The area I have to play with is pretty mini: approximately 3.4 metre square (36 square foot), which is open on one side. Here's a quick overview of the dimensions (as you can probably tell, I'm not a trained designer - the lines were drawn with the side of a magazine!) but I hope it gives you an idea of the area.

My Inspiration

Since changing my bedroom to warmer chestnut and blushing peach tones in the same open-plan room, I was keen to create more of a cohesive space (that's the problem with doing something new - it's exciting but has a total knock on effect - bah!). 

While I wanted the office space to blend in, I also wanted to create a distinct space where I could sit and work, store all my books and have all my bits and bobs to hand: in other words, a complete mini office where I can work on my billion dollar deals (if only!). This meant re-configuring the space and picking up some new pieces such as a smaller desk to fit the shorter side of the space and a row of shelving opposite. Here is the original moodboard (put together with the help of designer extraordinaire Genevieve Jorn who also worked with me on the design of my adjoining bedroom):

It has the warm brown, chestnut and netural tones which I love and felt earthy, calm and relaxed.  I ended up changing the artwork selection to make it more personal and swapped out the rug for a similar one I already had.  See further down the post for the final selection!

The Paint:

I can't tell you how nervous I was about the Norwegian Wood paint colour (by Jotun) - it's quite possibly the boldest I've gone - eeeek! But I loved its warm, woody notes and was willing to give it a go! I tested a sample on the wall (it's always a good idea to observe the colour over a number of days to see how it looks in various lights) and was so thrilled with it!

To the paint the entire wall I stripped away the shelving to the right too. FYI I'm absolutely no painting and decorating pro  - but I'm learning paint splodge by paint splodge! After prepping the area with a damp cloth, tape and newspaper, I used a roller for the bigger areas (long strokes and a generous amount of paint is key) and a smaller paint brush to go around the edges and tighter corners.

Oh yes, and in order to create cohesiveness with the rest of the room I painted the entire wall below in the same Norwegian Wood colour. Of course, once I finished, I realised the back wall now looked a little yellow next to my lovely new accent wall - so this required a fresh lick of white - phew!

After

With the paint finally finished it was time for the fun part. To put the furniture and all my gear back in place! Here's how it's looking...

I was so happy to finally get around to putting up a moodboard of some of the items that inspire me right now. One challenge I still have though is the radiator. While it's going to be great for keeping my toes toasty in the winter, I'd much rather it was the same colour as the wall - next project?! 

Hanging the artwork!

I didn't want to mess up my new, sparkling white wall with trillions of unnecessary holes- so I used an interior design trick I learned from Gen a while back (you may have seen it in this post). It's a really safe way to avoid making mistakes!

Here's a step by step guide: 

 

1. Take a large roll of paper and draw around each of the pictures you intend to hang. Cut out the template.
2. Stick them on the wall with blu-tac - and play around with the templates until you have a composition you're happy with. Quick tip I learned: artwork looks best if it's around two thirds of the width of the furniture beneath it (of course rules are there to be broken and this is definitely not an instruction - more a guide if you're feeling stuck!).
3. Measure the distance of the hook on the back of the picture (both vertically and horizontally)
4. Mark out the same spot on your template on the wall.
5. Hammer a nail through the marked out spot
6. Tear away the template leaving the nail in place and you're ready to rock!

I hope you like the results! It was a fun project, but best of all I've got myself a shiny new work space (I'll have to do a take-out on those muffins instead!!

I've put together a quick guide on where a few of the items are from below. If I've missed anything just give me a shout in the comment section below!

Get The Look

1. Gurilla Portrait H
2. The MANTIS lamp
3. Desk w/drawers, oak, nature
4. EKET cabinet
5. Hubsch Metal black Table lamp
6. Norwegian Wood paint by Jotun
7. Washed white linen curtains
8. Carpet with fringes
9. Black Scissors from Hubsch
10. Desk organizer

If this has given you the incentive to update your workspace you might like to have a snoop around this archive (if this pops up first just hop over as always!).

Have a lovely day all!

Photography / styling : Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home. Interior Design direction: Genevieve Jorn. Thank you to all the brands that helped contribute to this make-over by gifting items. The post contains some affiliated links.

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Mindful Decorating: Tips and A Tour of a Cosy Swedish Home in Holland

This grey, rainy Tuesday in Malmö calls for a day indoors - preferably in 'mysbyxor' (comfy track pants) and some very chunky knit socks (although these days I swear by my Swedish Shephard slippers!). Slightly further South, founder of Hemma Interiors Matilda Kristoffersson, a Swede living in Amersfoort, The Netherlands is cosying up at home with her Dutch husband Thijs and their three children Luuk (2.5 years) and newborn twins Joep and Lill. Matilda is an interior stylist who prides herself on a 'feeling first' approach. The mindful home has become a hot topic in recent times, especially as we find ourselves spending a copious amount of time indoors. I caught up with Matilda to find out a more about what it means and garner a few tips. 

Can you tell us a little about your house? 

We live in a terraced house measuring 135 square meters, divided over three floors. On the ground floor, we have our kitchen, dining, and living room as one open space with warm oak floors throughout. On the first floor we have our bedroom, family bathroom and our children's bedrooms  (Joep and Lill share a room). On the third floor, we have an attic space with high ceilings which serves as my workspace as well as a guest room for when my family comes over from Sweden. Both the first and second floor has white stained pine wood floors. I am very traditional Swedish in that I love white walls and light wooden floors. The house is situated on a quiet street in a newly built area with a canal just in front which we can see from our large windows in the kitchen and our bedroom. It is a great place for children to grow up and our son often plays with his friends out on the street in front of our house. 

How has being Scandinavian influenced your style and work? 

Being Swedish I think home is something really important. It gets pretty dark and cold during a big part of the year, so we tend to spend a lot of time in our homes, and that of our friends. I am very passionate about helping and inspiring others to create a home that truly makes them feel good and “at home” via my company Hemma Interiors (hemma means "home" in Swedish). I do this via my Instagram, my Online Course in Mindful Interior, and a new Guided Room Meditation that I am about to release. 

That sound really exciting, I'll be keeping a look out for your course! How has your interest in mindfulness and your Swedish background contributed to your home decorating? 

I take a mindful and “feeling first”  approach to how I decorate our home. This means that I think about how I want to feel in a space, and then connect this to design and style choices. So there is quite a mix of styles in our home with a more rustic kitchen, minimalistic bedroom, eclectic and classic look in the living room. But our entire home is still very Scandinavian I would say. In order to have a peaceful flow in the house, each space still has a similar color palette and materials; I’m very traditional Swedish in that I love a white wall and natural wood. We buy most of our furniture second hand as I believe that it is the best for our environment and it gives a very personal feeling to a home. I also buy a lot from IKEA (also second hand often) which I hack and upgrade to make my own. This really gives an outlet for my creativity.

Mindful decorating has become a big topic lately, can you tell us more about it?

When people hear I combine mindfulness and interior, they assume that it must mean minimalism and light colors, kind of like walking into a yoga studio. But in reality, a mindful interior does not necessarily mean that it looks in a certain type of way, but rather it is about the power of really tuning into our own personal style and focusing on how you really want to feel in your home, rather than how it looks from an outside perspective. Something I call “Feeling First” interior.

I think how we feel in our homes have become even more important over the last few months as we spend so much time in them now. Our homes are, and can be, so much more than just a place where we eat, sleep and watch TV. It is truly a space that we can use to relax, spend loving time with family and friends, and fully be ourselves in. 

  

How does mindful decorating differ from the usual way you might approach decorating a home? 

Decorating your home in a mindful way, 'Feeling First' instead of 'Design First', flips around the traditional decorating and interior process. You start off by exploring how you want to feel in your home, and then think about what type of colors, materials, designs and styles fit with this feeling. It is about starting from who you are and realizing your own personal style in your home, rather than trying to recreate that of someone else. And by doing so, empowering yourself to be and show who you really are in your home. Because if we are not able to celebrate our true selves in our own homes, then where else?

Do you have any tips for anyone looking to try a mindful approach to decorating? 

To me, the core of mindfulness is to embrace what is and be grateful for what you have in the now - because at the end of the day that is all we ever have - this moment now. By embracing what our homes are right now we can decorate from a place of gratitude and start to truly connect to how we want to live in them. I believe that we all have something that I call “Interior Intuition”, a sort of powerful guiding gut feeling of how we want our homes to look and feel. The trick is just to learn how to connect to it, and trust it. 

Here are three tips to get your started: 

1. Dare to listen to, and trust, your own interior intuition
2. Start with gratitude. Embrace what is already there rather than get caught up in the things you don’t like 
3. Think about how you want to feel in your space rather than how you want it to look

***

Thank you so much to Matilda for sharing her home tour and mindful interior tips. Oh - and a big congratulations are in order on little Joep and Lill! 

You can find out more about Matilda's online courses here.

I hope you found this topic as interesting as I did - do share your thoughts below, I'd love to hear them! 

Niki

Photography: Matilda Kristofferson 

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A super relaxed, boho cottage in Australia

I'm feeling all relaxed and inspired working from Djäkne, a café and communal workspace in town. It's amazing what a change of scene can do, don't you think? I stumbled across this lovely boho coastal cottage over at Apartment Therapy and it immediately matched today's mood! Situated in Victoria, Australia, the 100 year old home is rented by Kirsty Davey (founder of Otis and Otto), Simon Taylor and their daughter, Mali. The family lived in Melbourne and loved to come out here at the weekends before realising this is where they wanted to live permanently. The lovely, relaxed home is filled with vintage, reclaimed and restored pieces, works by local and overseas artists and a rich blend of textures to form a lovely base from which to enjoy surfing, cooking, gardening and other outdoor adventures. Let's take a peek....

Photography: Sophie Timothy for Apartment Therapy. With thanks.

Aaaaah, what a charming home, don't you think? 

Could you imagine moving to your 'weekend' retreat permanently? I shared this account by Sara Tasker recently who moved to the country and shared her lessons learned here. And this Swedish artist took up permanent residence in this former school house (honestly, I can totally see why!).

Where do you dream of moving to?

Get the look: Kitchen / dining: vintage Thonet / bentwood chairs (love these!), SMEG fridge,
Chemex brewer, Apollo coffee maker, source a beautiful range of copper pans here. Bedroom: white waffle bed spread. Porch: Hunter wellies, black plant stand.

You might also want to check out Kirsty's shop for lovely handmade pieces by local artisans (some of which can be seen in her home).  

You can also see more pics and a full write-up of this Australian home over at Apartment Therapy.

Other similarly relaxed Australian spaces you may have missed: a dreamy cottage,  a retro beach house and Kara Rosenlund's weatherboard cottage.  You might also want to get lost in my archive of  summer cottages for the longest mid-week coffee break ever.





Have a lovely day!

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