Classic meets contemporary in a Stockholm home

Hej hej! I'm back at my desk after the holidays, the rain's coming down in sheets outside and there's something kind of nice and cosy about it. Plus my office is feeling super organised (it's got that sort of back to school vibe about it!), wonder how long that will last?! (I'm told the more messy your desk, the more creative you are, which I take great comfort from!). Anyhooo, on with today's tour! This lovely Stockholm space seems to strike just the right balance between classic and contemporary thanks to relaxed linens and traditional kitchen units combined with modern art photography, a state of the art bike and a sleek flat screen TV! I especially like the bedroom - it's so simple yet has such a calm, relaxed feel. Step inside....

Photographer: Mikael Axelsson Styling: Katia Thoger. For sale via Fantastic Frank. 

Happy to see two of my favourite plants in this home. A series of 'Chinese money plants' (on the kitchen windowsill). The beauty of these plants is not only do they look lovely, they're also really easy to keep alive (result!). But best of all, they self seed so the pot is always full of new shoots which can be replanted. Love that!

The other is the national flower of South Africa - 'king protea'. This has recently popped up in flowershops all over town and I absolutely love the pinkish hue. I have discovered that it's equally beautiful dried! Perfect!

Check out these lovely spaces for more plant inspiration (I love Jeska Hearn's home!).


Oh, and this is a great source for new photo art.

Is there anything you love in particular about this home?

If it's raining where you are and you're having a slow day - you can always pour yourself a delicious cup of coffee and scroll through the swedish apartments archive (if this comes up first, just scroll passed).

Have a great day!

PS The American version of my new book (Lagom: The Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life) is now on Amazon and available to pre-order here (same tips, ideas etc different cover!) - so exciting!

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A striking Malmo pad with attitude!

We're heading home today after our sail around the Pomerania coast in the Baltic - we've had such a brilliant time! But as the Swedes say borta bra men hemma bäst (away is good but home is best!) and I am looking forward to my bed! Don't you find that?! To celebrate the occasion I'd like to share a home from my adopted home town of Malmö. Captured by talented local photographer Marcus Lawett and featured in the latest edition of Elle Decoration Sweden, this 1920s apartment belongs to Lisa, Sulle and their son Morris. High ceilings, parquet floors and large windows form the backdrop for a space filled with flea market finds, Moroccan touches and interesting art. Välkommen in!

Photography: Marcus Lawett / Styling Karolina Vertus, Featured in Elle Decoration.

Wow! I love how there's an element of surprise in every room (every time I looked through I spotted something new!). And that bedroom is fabulous (I've never seen a room divider used as a headboard before - have you? - you can source a similar one here).

I also spy a Globe Mobile (remember the one in this beautiful Krakow home?). Could this be a thing? Pretty cool! I wonder how easy it would be to make your own (I'm always seeing globes at flea markets)?

I was also happy to see the rubber glove moulds (I first spotted these in the beautiful home of Josephine Ekström when we photographed it for The Scandinavian Home. You can pick up original industrial ones here. 

A few other items I know and love: Flos Viscontea pendant lamp, Tulip armchair, sitting room - womb chair, Marshall speakers (love these - I've got the exact same at home), and  Togo sofa Ligne Roset. Pick up a boucherouite rug here.

The stylist behind this shoot - Karolina Vertus, owns  a beautiful shop in town called Miloii - you must stop by if you're in town! I once featured Karolina's home here. 

You can read more about this home in the latest edition of Elle Decoration Sweden (such a great magazine even if you'd done have a grasp of the Swedish language!). And you can also read more about it here.

Have a great day! 

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Styling a small space, the Swedish way

It's been a while since I've shown a home from Scandinavia - which feels pretty strange, given the alias of my blog! Since we're now back safe and sound in Scandinavia (moored in Rødvig, a fishing village South of Copenhagen to be precise), I thought it was definitely about time! It's hard to envisage that this delightful space in Gothenburg is a mere 37 square metres (398 square feet - I had to double check this conversion as I'm forever getting it wrong!). The illusion of space is largely thanks to clever styling tricks by Emma Fischer - who's made use of the vertical space and maintained the same light, colour scheme throughout. Enjoy the tour!

Photography: Maria Sahlander / Styling Emma Fischer. For sale through Bjurfors. 

I can totally imagine padding around in this lovely apartment, how about you?!

Get the look: sitting room - prints / posters: ADORAY, Eyes Wide Shut, The lady in the bathroom,
source similar nest tables here, this moss knit blanket is similar, seagrass belly basket (I also love this macrame one),  stonewashed white linen duvet cover and pillowcases (see my bedding from the same Etsy shop in denim here - love it!). Kitchen - bentwood chair, bumling pendant light.

If you'd like to take a peek at other small spaces today try this archive (although very different from the above, I am still thinking about this wonderful studio I featured the other week...isn't it fab?!).

Have a lovely day!

PS Thank you for all your amazingly positive feedback on my new book  - both here and on Instagram - truly heartwarming!

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My new book!

This year I've been tinkering away behind the scenes on a new book. And now it's finally time to reveal a little more about it! So exciting! While my first two books focus on interior design, my new book is centered around the Swedish philosophy of 'Lagom' meaning 'not too much, no too little - just right.' I moved to Sweden in 2004 and over the past 13 years a lot has happened -  marriage, children, work.... But also, while I'll still always be a Londoner at heart, I've slowly adapted to the Swedish way of life. My home is clutter-free, I ride my bike everywhere (even in the snow!), I take walks along beaches and in the forests and I finish work on time (clock-watching? who me?!). And something truly unexpected has happened - I've become calmer, more content and ultimately..... happier! In 'Lagom: The Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life'  I've drawn on my observations of life in Sweden - from how my Nordic friends decorate their homes, take morning dips, go mushroom picking and enjoying a fika (a break with a coffee and a little treat) to how they celebrate holidays and other big events, raise their children and even strike a balance with the world around them. I hope you'll enjoy the many tips, craft ideas and even the odd recipe as much as I have  compiling them for the book!

'Lagom: The Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life' is now available to pre-order here!

It's such a wonderful moment to see a book come to life. Thank you to my publisher HarperCollins who has been so supportive of all my ideas from start to finish and the talented Swedish illustrator Petra Borner for the beautiful illustrations throughout the book! I can't tell you how generous my Swedish friends (and others further afield) have been throughout the process - from trusting me with their knowledge, to sharing experiences and providing recipes - tack så mycket! And finally, a huge thank you for reading my blog and following my feeds on social media, you inspire me to share my experiences of Scandinavian (and more specifically Sweden) - and this book would never have been possible without you!

I hope you enjoy it!

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Cosy meets contemporary in a Rotterdam home

Why hello Monday! I hope you've had a great weekend? We're slowly snaking our way home across the Baltic sea to Malmö via Denmark after our sailing adventure... it's been such a relaxing time!  To match my mood, I thought I'd kick off the week with this lovely, calm space in Rotterdam belonging to Stefan Prins, a partner of architect and design firm, the Powerhouse Company. Stefan has spent three years designing and building his dream home and turned to Holly Marder and Hedda Pier of Avenue Design Studio for interior design assistance. The result is a Nordic style home that bridges the gap between 'clean and contemporary' and cosy and comfortable with the use of rich, natural textures. Here's a sneak peek of the sitting room and kitchen / dining area...

Photography: Avenue Design Studio. Architect: Stefan Prins

What a great space? I love the open-plan nature of the living area and the soft, muted tones.

Get the look from Stefan's home: sitting room - art by July Adrichem, source natural linen made-to-measure curtains here (I also love these two-toned curtains - so lovely!). Kitchen / dining area - wishbone chairs, ceramics by July Adrichem, 'Up' poster by Fine Little Day,  bench from IKEA.

You can see more of this space and read more about the project here.

I'm such a big fan of Dutch style and often showing homes from The Netherlands. Check out a few of my favourites here!

Right, better get a move on, we need to take to the water....

Have a great start to the week!

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A fascinating, small studio where interests dictate

Hej hej! You know that feeling when you know your computer is about to die but you can't be bothered to move nearer the power socket? Well, I'm on borrowed time here. The truth is, I'm curled up under a blanket in the corner of our sail boat feeling all cosy with a steaming cup of coffee. Everyone else is still asleep and it's sooo lovely and quiet! I know that if I get up to charge my laptop there's a chance I might stir one of the members of my beloved family and my golden hour of peace will be over! I'd better get on with today's tour quickly! Although there's no 'quick' about the way this beautiful studio has been decorated. The lovely home of Ann Stephenson and Lori Scacco (who oversees Donzella) in Manhattan's East Village has a wonderful nostalgic feel to it. The 370 square foot (34 square metres) studio is brimming with fascinating art, antiques, books and trinkets, evidence of a home dictated by passions and interests rather than trends. Photographer Genevieve Garruppo
has truly captured the essence of the space.

Photography Genevieve Garruppo Prop styling: Kaylei McGaw

What a fascinating home? I love how Ann and Lori haven't let a limited space prevent them from surrounding themselves with all the things they love. It's also wonderful to see an old world feel in the heart of a big city!

Is there anything that catches your eye?

Get the look from Ann and Lori's studio: source a vintage black leather sofa here, this dining chair is similar, buy beautiful cushions / pillows here. I love these vintage industrial wall lamps. Pick up a beautifully faded, vintage kilim rug here. This is a lovely iron bed frame.

See more pictures of this lovely home over at the wonderful Lonny magazine (while you're there you must check out Lonny's ideas and home tour pages - full of inspiration!).

And if you're looking for more inspiration on ways to decorate a small space, you might also want to check out this archive.  So many clever ideas?!

Trevlig helg! Have a wonderful weekend - see you Monday! 

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My kitchen update: HONK trolley

We were so lucky to have plenty of cupboard storage in our kitchen when we moved in. But sometimes I feel open storage is pretty handy too - plus I love the relaxed vibe it gives a space, don't you agree? Thanks to Danish homeware brand Nordal (#Ilovemywork) I finally got around to installing this beauty in the kitchen a few weeks back. Made from iron and recycled fir wood, the HONK trolley (great name!) has a lovely industrial feel - and as soon as I put it in place, it felt it had always been there - don't you love it when that happens? As you can see, it's already laden down with things (however did I find the space for these items before?). Here's a sneak peek....

Photography: Niki Brantmark / Styling Genevieve Jorn

Soooo happy with it!

Here's a quick guide on the items in my kitchen:

1. Wall lamp 2. Black and gold bowls 3. Glass measuring jar 4. Grey coat hook 5. HONK trolley 6. Stoneware pitcher 7. Tapas board 8. Grey leather carpet 9. Graphic oven dish10. Espresso pot.

Nordal ships throughout Europe - find your nearest dealer / stockist here.

Have a lovely day! 

PS Keep an eye out for my full kitchen reveal next month! In the meantime here's a tour of my dining area - so happy with the updates!

This post is brought to you in collaboration with Nordal. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I absolutely love and think you will too! Thank you for supporting the businesses that help bring fresh content to your mail box and make My Scandinavian Home possible.

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