Order and poetry in the Stockholm home of a creative

Hello! It's a public holiday here in Sweden tomorrow so we're gearing up for a few days at the cottage - which I'm soooo looking forward to! But I'd never leave you without a beautiful home tour and a round up of a few links I love of course! This home in Hornstull, Stockholm really stood out to me for it's vibrant colours (the greens, the yellows....the orange!) and relaxed, lived-in vibe. The lovely space belongs to interior architect and designer Marie Dreiman and her husband and centres around  their philosophy of 'order and poetry'.  I certainly see that from these pictures, how about you?

Photos: Patric Johansson (shared with kind permission). Featured in Elle Decoration.

I love the sunny yellow cabinet - it's so cheerful! And the green in the kitchen is beautiful too. Is there anything that stands out to you?

Get the look: kitchen / dining - There are some really fab 1950's dining chairs here (including this blue formica one).  Tolix style bar stool in yellow. Sitting room: Corona chair by E Jörgensen and sofa by IKEA, rattan chair, pick up a teak mid-century chair here. I love this and this vintage filing cabinet. Bedroom: the Hay polygon quilt cover is similar, source a mid-century bedside table here, Le Klint pendant lamp.

Other relaxed homes I love include this mid-century inspired home in Berlin, a light filled Swedish family home and a cottage in the Australian countryside (in case you missed them).

I thought I'd leave you with a few links I love this week too:

Dining with lighting and plants overhead.... and the easiest indoor plants to grow (and keep alive) indoors.

A great way to store LP's.

Possibly the cutest children's clothing I've seen this season. 

Love the mix in this kitchen!

Where I'd like to be sitting right now. Want to join me? We could dangle our feet with a champagne cocktail? Say yes!

Which reminds me, have you ever seen Isaac's live lip-dub marriage proposal? If not, you must!! It's so wonderful!

And finally - the 22 most beautiful places in the world - do you agree?

Right, that's it from me. Better go and pack! Eeeee!

Have a wonderful few days and see you Monday....

PS Oh and calling all Stockholmers - Photographer Petra Reger (who's fabulous home in a former factory I featured here)  is looking for a lovely home story in Stockholm to photograph early next week. If you have any tips Petra would love to hear from you.

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Warm Earthy Tones In An International Family Home in Denmark

The sun is shining in Malmö today -  a rare and wonderful site! Over the Öresund bridge, graphic designer Diana Mwabala, her husband Kadima and their adorable daughter Miriam are also enjoying the bright sunshine in their beautiful rental flat. Located in southern Denmark, the Mwabala family home has a wonderful, earthy vibe and has been decorated with a blend of thrifted, upcycled and handmade pieces. I caught up with Diana to find out more about her style, the warm golden tones she and Miriam's cute bedroom! 

We'd love to hear more about you and your family

My name is Diana, I am Romanian and moved to Denmark in 2013 to study. I stayed because I met my husband, Kadima, a Zambian whose been living here for over 16 years. So, we are a pretty International family - spanning two continents who found each other in little Denmark :). We have a two-year-old daughter called Miriam, and another little one on the way. I work as a freelance graphic designer / concept developer. 

How do you describe your style?

I aspire to a mid-century modern and Japanese / Scandinavian style. However, I think right now our home is more a mix of Scandinavian and bohemian (Scandiboho). 

Are there any references to your international roots in your home?

Yes, definitely. It means a lot to us to blend in our roots so it's not Scandinavian all the way. Evidence of this can be seen throughout our home. For example, the white rug on the wall was handmade by locals in a small mountainous region of Romania. And we also have lots of African / Zambian pieces such as the basket on the wall as well as smaller items on the shelves. Even the earthy clay colours remind me of our trip to Zambia and South Africa.

What is important to you when it comes to decorating?

I love it when things are practical, functional, cosy and pretty. I think these words define our home and our intentions. Our home should also be child-friendly, but without compromising on aesthetics :). I always look for pretty solutions to practical problems - often with Miriam in mind. For example, we built the shelves behind the sofa so we could hide a cup of tea there, instead of placing it on the coffee table, where she could come and spill it! 

Where do you find the pieces for your home? 

Most of our home is thrifted and upcycled or handmade. We love DIY! At first, I'd come up with the ideas and my husband would make them. But, with time I have learnt how to build things on my own, so now my husband knows that it's dangerous to leave me home alone! 

I love the golden tones in your home, can you tell us a little more about them?

I'd say our home is painted in earthy tones. We've used neutrals as a base, and then added colours through accessories. Some of the paint has a colour code, others I mixed myself using leftovers. 

Here are the colour codes / names of the paint I know:

- Wall behind dining table: Calm Nude from Flügger

- Bookshelf behind sofa: Marrakech from Jotun

- Miriam's playroom: 3357 from Flügger

- Our bedroom: self-blended but reminds me of Adventure from Jotun. 

Miriam's room is beautiful! Can you describe the creative direction?

It's the most colourful room in our home. I love her little universe, it's my favourite! We painted the floors yellow, chose a peachy colour for the walls and added a yellow bed and red wardrobe. Her room is like a fairy-tale if you ask me. I love the retro style and added old vintage finds, combined with playful and educational pieces and lots of pretty storage for toys. 

Thank you so much for inviting us on a virtual tour of your beautiful home today Diana. We'd better tiptoe away before we wake Miriam! 

You can see more of Diana's lovely home over on this little corner of the 'gram! 

Is there anything about Diana's home that stood out to you in particular? I absolutely love Miriam's room - it's full of pretty pieces - every time I look, I spot something new! 

For more Danish home tours today, check out the Danish home archive - which includes yesterday's 'thatched cottage' before and after. 

I hope the sun is shining where you are too today!

Niki

Photography courtesy of Diana Mwabala, shared with kind permission.

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A Swedish Home with Warm, Golden Tones

Friday already? How great is that? I'm celebrating by working away in a little cafe by the sea beside my house. It's a little foggy though so the Öresund bridge (which connects Sweden and Denmark) is shrouded in cloud). In this Gothenburg apartment though, it looks like the sun is always shining thanks to the warm golden tones. Would you like to take a look around and get some lovely ideas? Follow along for the tour. 

I often talk about a 'red thread' - which is a Swedish phrase for carrying a theme from one room to the next  to create a cohesive look and create harmony. In this space the same beige-yellow hue has been used in some shape or form in every room. 

Note above how a shelf has been placed over the door making use of 'dead space' and also drawing the eye upwards to make full use of the magnificent ceiling height. 

I mentioned in Wednesday's post that range ovens are making a big comeback in Sweden lately. Don't get me wrong, in-built ovens are still more prevalent, but these beauties are sneaking into older homes and adding a wonderful focal point to the kitchen. In Sweden we don't use so much gas, so if you look closely, you'll notice that these are often induction. 

Doing away with upper cabinets for a cleaner look is still a hot trend. Even so, open shelving and rails with hooks help to add a relaxed, cosy touch. 

Note the panelling contains beading which adds a traditional touch to the look (see my panelling style guide for more information). 

Possibly one of the slimmest wine fridges I have seen - so smart if you like to keep your wine at exactly the right temperature but don't have a lot of space to spare! 

An extra dining area has been added in the open-plan sitting room. Note the wall-mounted glass cabinet - a popular feature in Swedish and Danish homes right now! 

All storage in the sitting room is made from the same wood, adding warmth and texture to the space. 

A fully working masonry stove in the corner adds such a cosy touch to the sitting room! 

Whoever has lived here (and soon moving out) is very keen on storage - which is a dream to see! Note how the cabinets do not go the entire way to the ceiling for a contemporary touch (and to not obstruct the beautiful cornicing!). 

I feel warm just looking at this apartment - there's definitely something to be said for yellow-ish tones, don't you think? 

For those of you who think it's helpful to see a floor plan, here it is: 

Right folks, that's it from me this week! 

I'm rushing back home now to help my daughter to pack for her swimming competition in Kungsbacka, on the Swedish west coast this weekend (did you see Lovisa's home which I shared from the same town on Wednesday? So charming!). And tomorrow I'm excited to be heading over that bridge to Copenhagen for the day. Let's hope it isn't still shrouded in fog! I hope you have some sun / relaxing plans too! 

If you'd like to see a little more inspiration over the weekend, check out the Swedish, Danish and Norwegian home archives - there are over 12 years of Scandinavian interiors to explore! 

I'll be back on Monday with a tour of a danish summer cabin with the most beautiful garden (I've been taking notes for our own cabin garden). Hopefully see you then! 

Niki

Photo: Henrik Linden for Alvhem. 

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A Warm and Relaxed Swedish Cottage by the Sea

Hello friends! It's so great to be back here on the blog after my summer break! I am easing myself in slowly with this wonderful summer cottage in the picturesque fishing village of Simrishamn, south Sweden. It's a popular summer destination and this cottage, with its charming touches from the 1860s and sea views is a perfect place from this to enjoy all the town has to offer! 

I was planning on sharing a carefully whittled down selection of pictures from the listing, but the task became impossible - there is simply too much inspiration to be gleaned from each and every room. What I love most about this cottage is how the owners have veered away from a more obvious blue and white coastal theme. Instead, an ode to the summer and sea can be seen in a variety of clever ways - from the warm yellow tones, straw hats, art, scalloped edges and sea-themed lamp shades! Välkommen! 

You'll be hard pressed to spot new items in this lovely home. Chairs, tables, cabinets and mirrors have a distinct vintage and antique vibe  while other touches have a traditional touch to match the soul of the 150-year-old property. 

Rattan, bamboo and woven rugs bring in a relaxed costal touch while rag rugs (seen furthest away in the above picture) bring time-honoured tradition to the cottage, while also helping to keep drafts at bay. 

A mix of pieces help to create a relaxed atmosphere in the sitting room. 

I don't think I've ever seen so many hooks! They are highly practical in a summer cottage when storage is limited, although you'd need to pack your prettiest garments - and underwear would need to go elsewhere (I'm not sure I would want to wake up to a row of Per's boxers!). 

The yellow bedspread brings instant sunshine to the space - well needed given the rainy summer we have just had in Sweden! Any tips on where this might be from? if so, please do share in the comments section below! 

Wildlife art in the stairwell draws the surrounding nature indoors, while curtains help to create privacy for extra bunks in the landing. 

Open storage is great for short term stays. I like the way they have made the most of space under the sloped ceiling. 

How lovely! I could definitely see myself wiling away the summers here, about you? 

See more pictures and the full floor plan here. 

You might also like to take a peek inside a few other these coastal cottages:

A charming coastal cottage in Denmark

A beautiful danish ceramicists house by the sea

A striking holiday home by the sea in Iceland

Also: 

15 coastal living ideas to steal from a Danish cottage

Thank you for stopping by, I'm excited to be blogging regularly again (Mondays. Wednesdays and Fridays) from now on. If you'd like to be alerted to new posts, you might like to sign up to my mail subscription here. 

Kram! 

Niki 

Photography courtesy of Ekström & Co

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