A dramatic Swedish space with black walls

Hello, I hope you had a great weekend? Despite the beautiful sunshine outside I thought we'd kick off the week with a bit of drama with this elegant Swedish studio apartment with black walls. The living space is laid out over two rooms - one large room making up the sitting room and bedroom and a seperate kitchen. I especially love how the period features have been painted in a crisp white which truly makes them pop, and of course the space has beautiful original wood floors and large windows too. Imagine having this as your city pad? Fabulous!

For sale through Entrance. Photos: Anders Bergstedt.

What do you think? Tempted to add a little drama to your own home?

Get the look: bedroom - grey linen bedding and white linen throw. Sitting room - vintage leather sofa, Russel James and Paolo Roversi print. Kitchen: Voliéres bird pendant lamp, Thonet chairs, copper pans, chopping board, Dagg vase, Smeg fridge freezer, toaster.

More spaces with dramatic dark walls you may have missed: A swedish home in dark blues, greys and greens and a Stockholm pad.  Or how about black floors? (I really love this space!).  

Have a lovely day! 

PS it's the last day to enter the fab give-away to win 5 Scandinaviaform vases from Blackthumb. It only takes a sec to enter here. 

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The winner of 5 beautiful Scandinaviaform vases from Blackthumb

Thank you so much to everyone for entering the May day spring bank holiday to win not one but five fab Scandinaviaform vases from Blackthumb (oh yes!). I'm excited to announce the winner as....Pét'a K. Wonderful if you can drop me a mail with your preferred vases / address so we can ship your prize to you.

As you can see I didn't keep the prize all to myself (as tempted as I was!), but I will be heading over to Blackthumb for a little shopping! See you there? You can also keep up to date with @blackthumb and @scandinavianform on instagram for a great dose of interior inspiration. And if you're heading to Pulse in a few weeks, make sure you swing by booth A30 to see these vases in action and say hi!

 1. Consilium Vases & Glasilium Vases 2. Chamber Vases 3. Consilium Vases 4. Glasilium Vases

This give-away is now closed.

Terms & Conditions

You must be age of majority in your country of residence. We are not responsible for any duties, import taxes that you may incur. Only 1 entry per person. 

This post is sponsored by Blackthumb and Scandinaviaform.

Have a wonderful spring bank holiday!

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A lovely relaxed, family loft in Oakland

Hello! The sun's shining and it's almost the weekend - what's not to love?! It's going to be an extra special one here too as we've got VIP guests - my sister and unbelievably cute four month old niece! Before I head off to join them I'd like to share this wonderfully relaxed and charming loft in Oakland, California. Captured by Ellie Koleen, the home belongs to graphic designer and illustrator Jess Levitz, husband Josh, baby boy Izzie and their dog Jack. The family have furnished the space with an eclectic blend of their favourite things including a huge book collection, vintage and handmade items (note the bespoke raised bed), modern pieces and a whole load of plants. The result is an entirely unique and personal home drenched in sunlight. What a great home tour to celebrate the start of the weekend.

Photography: Ellie Koleen / @elliserochelle (shared with kind permission)/ Homeowner: Jess Levitz. Found via Design Sponge with thanks. 

Love, love, love this space, how about you? It helps that the pics are that bit more personal including Jess with her little baby boy and also Jack enjoying a little spot in the sun!

Items I know and love: Kitchen - rattan pouf, industrial style utility cart, I love this original dining table from the 1950's table (better hurry, there's only one!), rag rug, string folk lights. Sitting room: Chaise longue from IKEA. Bedroom: the yellow art on canvas is by Jess, fairy lights. Izzie's corner: cotton & ball string lights, this little bear blanket / rug is similar to the one draped over the side of the cot.

You can read / check out more pics of this lovely home here.

I absolutely love a loft, don't you? Here are some others I've featured in the passed, in case you missed them - thoughtful no?!  A truly inspiring Parisien loft, 'The Witness' in New York and an artist's home in a former factory. Do you have a favourite?

Have a wonderful couple of days and see you Monday!

PS This weekend I'm holding such an exciting give-away - in fact I'd love to keep the prize for my own home,....stop by if you have the time and join in the fun, I assure you, you'll be as excited as I am!

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Beautiful Amsterdam bedroom make-over and tips for a great night sleep

I had a bit of a late night last night, arriving back from presenting in Copenhagen (alongside two other lovely social media gals - cake baking extraordinaire Cecilia and talented photographer Christina) at midnight before being rudely interrupted by my alarm at 5.30 am this morning- GUH! As a result sleep (or lack of) is on my mind. Oh how I'd love to crawl under the duvet in this beautiful bedroom in a penthouse in Amsterdam. Designed by Holly Marder, the space has been decorated with soft, muted tones and a subtle mix of  textures to give a serene and relaxing feel.  Could you imagine a peaceful night's sleep (or duvet day) in this light and airy bedroom?

Photography / design - Holly Marder  / Avenue Lifestyle shared with kind permission.

Oh so lovely! The star of the show has to be the kitty cat - he's gorgeous?! But if I had to choose an item I'd go for the African mudcloth pillows/ cushions - fab!

Other items: I have a very similar bench at the end of my bed and love it. You can source a similar one here and here. The wall colour is Ammonite. Source sheer linen here. Hästens bed which has been re-upholstered. Brass pendant light bulbs, white and rose linen bedding. Beni Ourain rug. Books: The Kinfolk Home and Northern Delights. Superfront cabinet doors.

You can also see the before pictures here (I do love a good before and after!). And you might want to check out Holly's own bedroom here (one of the most popular posts of all time on MSH!). 

There's also plenty of bedroom inspiration in the MSH archives here. Plus over 1000 beautiful bedrooms (I'm not joking) on my bedroom pinterest board (clearly I dream about going back to bed a lot).

Other sleep-inducing links:

This dark broody cocoon of a bedroom and light and airy bedroom is also beautiful. Do you prefer the dark or the light?

I love this 'within the tides' bedding.

5 minute bedtime yoga for a better night's sleep.

Bedroom plants that help you sleep.

13 songs to calm you down at night.

How to wake-up without feeling sluggish.

Have a lovely day (and a beautiful night's sleep!). Sweet dreams!

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Summer at this charming Swedish cottage?

I've been dreaming of villas in tropical paradises lately (as you know!), but actually when the warm weather arrives and the skies clear here in Sweden there's nowhere I'd rather be. And I'm not alone. Many Swedes take to their summer cottages for the month of July. The cottages are more often than not decorated in a lovely relaxed, fuss-free style with a focus on the simple way of life. Today I stumbled across this charming traditional family summer cottage in Kyrkeby a little hamlet north of Gothenburg and it immediately reminded me of these care-free summer days with long lunches alfresco and dips in the sea. Let's take a tour...

For sale though Stadshem. Photography: Janne Olander.

So pretty don't you think? Charmingly simple and laid back. I love the pretty floral wallpapers and traditional stove - is there anything that stands out to you?

Get the look: traditional bench with storage, source pretty vintage tea sets here, the purple anorak is by Danish brand Noa Noa, pink hunter wellies. The traditional Swedish rag rug. This bold floral cushion is similar.

You can see more pics of this home here (did I mention it's for sale! Tempted?).

I've shared a few other idyllic traditional Swedish summer cottages in the passed including this pared-back one on Gotland, an idyllic cottage with an outdoor kitchen and a summer home with a lovely bed nook. Oh so lovely!  Do you have a favourite?

A few mid week links I love from around the web:

You know it's summer when.....22 of the prettiest outdoor showers. And my latest purchase (for those with indoor showers).

A simple peach caprese salad. Mmmmm.

This hanging plant pot. Grow your own Pineapple plant.

Still grey where you are?  Embrace it with these paint colours!

Have a lovely day!

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Holiday at this Brazilian escape in lush tropical gardens?

Someone stop me, I can't stop sharing tropical hide-aways. This is the third in two weeks (see the others here and here).  Soon I'm going to have to change the blog name to 'Scandinavians on holiday'. In this case the escape (or your next little piece of paradise?) is in the form of 'The Fogo Residence' a few minutes walk from Quadrado in the heart of Trancoso, Southern Bahia, Brazil. The home is split between a main villa and a pool house and decorated with a beautiful mix of local materials, wood, whitewashed walls and furniture, with one-off items designed by local craftsmen and artists to give the home a quirky bohemian vibe. It also 'has a bright blue infinity pool surrounded by lush tropical gardens' says Kid & Coe, the rental agent. And I'm sure I see a caipirinha with my name on it too.....how about you?

The Fogo Residence - Kid & Coe

So beautiful - and relaxing!

Could you imagine a fortnight here?!

Get the look (yes, really!)....rattan lampshades, round (I also like this reversible one) and oblong jute mat. White linen by the yard, vintage driftwood coffee table.  This sunlounger is similar. .....pool optional!

I also love this Brazilian pool villa escape and beach house - beautiful!

Have you been to Brazil? I'm thinking it's time....

Have a dreamy day!

PS Today I have a live radio interview about with On the House at 7.30 am PST (if you feel like checking-in!).

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