A serene small space apartment in Sweden

Morning! I hope you had a wonderful weekend? We've been celebrating my youngest daughter's birthday - cue pancakes with melon, raspberries and chocolate for breakfast  mmmmm - a girl after my own heart! Today's home in Gothenburg, Sweden comes courtesy of Ahre. It's a masterclass in how to furnish and decorate a small studio apartment - complete with sitting room by day, bedroom by night, cosy kitchen with dining space and a balcony for that morning coffee all in 34 metres square! The plants and linens add to the overall calmness of the space. Let's take a tour...

Ahre, Stylist Johanna Bagge and Frida Schuler. Found via Tant Johanna with thanks.

I love the stark contrast of the dark wallpaper, desk and rug against the white walls and light wood floor. The black rug really grounds the sitting area and brings the space together.

Is there anything that stands out to you?

A note on where a few items are from: wicker chair, white linen bedding, Thonet 209 desk chair is similar (15% here off with MYSCAN), terracotta plant pots, this swing arm wall light is similar (and fab!). Paris print. Tom Dixon etch light in hall. I'm investigating the wallpaper - could it be William Morris?

More inspiration small space inspiration to be found in this archive (scroll passed the first).

And other inspiration from around the web today:

Loving the vibrant blue colours of this beautiful parakeet.

I like the calm feel of this bedroom with green bed linen (find similar here). A similar green can be seen on the walls of this serene Swedish space and Tant Johanna's bedroom. What a beautiful shade? 

The mornings are getting darker and the weather a little more foreboding here in Southern Sweden- but this GIF puts a positive light on it all - I can just imagine the scene: someone curled up reading a book or a couple playing cards. So cosy and romantic!

Have a lovely day!

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Unusual places to stay: Bert's barge in London

Holiday planning in our family usually begins with the search words 'unusual places to stay' - we love to find places which are just a little bit off the wall - houseboats, the world's smallest luxury home, tree houses, ski pods - you name it! (What are your usual search words?). We're heading to London to attend the Amara interior blog awards soon (exciting!) and I was so excited to discover Bert & May's latest project - a barge hotel. Moored up on Regent's Canal in Hackney, east London, Bert's barge has been decorated using all the panache you might expect from a company that specialises in fab handmade and reclaimed tiles, wood flooring/ cladding and paint. Combine this with a distinct Scandinavian touch and...well, I'll leave that up to you to decide...

 

Oh how I'd love to stay here! How about you?

You'll need to book early though - it's unbelievably popular. I'm definitely going to keep an eye on their site for future trips though. Who knows - maybe this could be a project for the canals of Malmö too?!

If being afloat is not for you, I was also excited to discover Bert's Boxes -  a pre-fab mobile home that can pop up on your land within 14 weeks....

 

Which do you think you'd prefer?

They had me at the tiles and the wood burning stove, so hey, I'll take either, I'm not fussy!

Other examples of oh so cool houseboats include this playful Dutch family space and a dream holiday home on lake Eildon. 

I have a dream to build a little outhouse somewhere like Bert's box and hoping it will look like one of these.

More holiday inspiration in the 'design hotels' archive...

On the opposite scale....for the student...here's some fab inspiration for a college or university room. 

I think it's time to celebrate the weekend don't you? How much would you love to hit this bar straight after work today? See you there?!

Have a great weekend and see you Monday!

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