A Swedish home with striking contrasts

Heeeeejsan! A certain someone in our house is turning 9 tomorrow and we take birthday's very seriously, after all you only turn 9 once right?!  In between preparations for the breakfast in bed, giant decorations and the birthday tea, I thought I'd take a moment in my office where it's lugn och ro (peaceful!) and share this wonderful Gothenburg apartment with you. What struck me the most about this elegant space dating back to the 1890s is the contrast - I absolutely love the dark wood floors against the fresh white walls and the fabulous chequer floor in the hallway.  One truly inspiring space indeed, don't you agree?!

This magnificent flat is for sale through Bjurfors. Photography: Alen Cordic. Styling: Intro Inred.

Wow! It's so striking!  I love all the textures too - leather, canvas, wood, glass, plants etc. They add a really cosy touch.

Is there anything that stands out to you about this flat?

Get the look:  sitting room -
Stockholm chair from IKEA (I've just bought this my own home - it's beautiful!), source a vintage plan chest here,  Safari chair in canvas, black sheepskin throw. Bedroom - Karin armchair by Bruno Mathsson for DUX^® 1969. Kitchen - pick up a black dining table here, I love these edison-style string lights.

Does anyone know the name of the brass ceiling light in the kitchen (I'm sure a few of you are wondering too?!)? If so, it would be wonderful if you can let us out of our misery in the comment section below!

Looking for a little more inspiration? Other beautiful homes designed with contrast include this amazing French home (probably one of my favourite kitchen / dining spaces ever!), a dark and white Swedish home, and a dramatic Swedish space with dark walls. Ohhhh, so lovely. Having lightened up my entire home - these spaces actually make me want to go for dark floors all over again (don't whatever you do, tell the man....!).

Have a lovely day!

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Sleek and rustic in a Sydney bachelor pad

G'day! When I went to bed last night there was a howling gale outside, the wind was whipping the Baltic sea into a frenzy and rattling at our windows.  And then when I woke up it was eerily still  - as if to say "who me?!" This is what I love most about living by the water! And some 16,000 km away  - our Australian friends are also being buffeted by the elements, albeit by the deep blue of the pacific ocean. The owners of this wonderful bachelor pad in the Sydney coastal suburb of Queenscliff sought the assistance of talented interior designer Jillian Dinkel. Jillian takes cues from  'the relaxed bohemian ocean-side lifestyle of Sydney to create a strong connection and flow between the indoors and out' and works to strike a balance between creating an inviting space, which is also aesthetically beautiful. I certainly think she's achieved just that in this wonderful home, don't you?

Design and styling: Jillian Dinkel Designs. Photography - Hannah Blackmore Photography. found via Desire to Inspire with thanks.  

What a beautiful space? I love the combination of sleek modern and raw, rough wood, antique rugs and shaggy sheepskins.

Also, how fab is that bench in the hallway? I've got a very similar one at the end of my bed which I picked up here.

Is there anything that stands out to you?

Get the look: sitting room - I like this blue kilim pillow / cushion, source a vintage beni ourain rug here, Kara Rosenlund sells lovely photo art of the ocean. Dining room - Aesop hand soap, this taupe sheepskin is similar. Bedroom - I love this olive green linen bedding and midnight blue bedding (I have the same blue linen in my bedroom - so cosy!). Hallway - source a vintage kilim rug here, large round mirror (seeing a lot of these right now!).


I've featured so many beautiful Australian homes - a few of the most swoon-worthy include my dream holiday home (and garden room), a super relaxed boho cottage, and a charming family home.

Loving the relaxed style - I really, really must visit Oz soon, my visit is long overdue! Have you been? Or perhaps you live there, in which case you're extremely lucky! 

Have a lovely day!

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A light and soothing small Swedish home

God morgon! How are you today?! Due to a super exciting make-over and photo shoot in my sitting room over the weekend (look out for the reveal later this week) I already feel like I'm well into the working week! I'll be taking my girls for our annual day out at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen shortly though, so you really can't feel sorry for me! I so love that place - have you been? Before I head off, I thought it would be a good idea to ease us in to the week gently with a tour of this bright and airy Gothenburg home decorated in an array of soothing shades and natural textures. Measuring a total of 37 square metres / 398 square feet, it's another fine lessons from the Swedes on how to design a small space (see the archive here!). Oh and there's that wonderful knot cushion in mustard again (someone's trying to tell us something?!) - enjoy the tour!

Photography: Maria Sahlander. Styling: Emma Fisher for sale through Bjurfors.

So simple, so soft and so easy to live with! Could you imagine incorporating this scheme into your home?

A few items I know and love: sitting room - flowerpot pendant, Hay table, knot cushion, Mantis floor lamp. Karlstad sofa covered in the Bemz urban loose fit linen. Dining area: posters and prints from The Poster Club, J39 The People's Chair by Børge Mogensen. Bedroom - source lovely white linen bedding here.

Oh and Skåne friends - due to my new sitting room make-over our beloved North sofa is now for sale on Blocket - although it will always live on in this post!

Have a great start to the week lovely friends!

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Step inside the 'New Darlings' Phoenix home

There are some homes which are destined to be featured on a Friday  - simply because they're the kind of joint you'd love to hang out at (or at least feel inspired by) ALL weekend! This is one of them. If you're already an avid follower of New Darlings, you'll  be familiar with this fab home in Phoenix Arizona. It belongs to the mighty cool husband and wife team Robert and Christina - who 'laugh too hard, dance all night and explore together' as well as have an uber cool sense of style. Fortunately for us, they're also amazing photographers so get a glimpse of this through their inspiring blog and instagram feed. The pair have recently moved house and have been renovating it one room at a time - using vintage and mid-century finds, interesting art and an abundance of plants. Let's take a little tour!

Photography / design: New Darlings

Isn't it such a great space? So vibrant - and just the kind of place you could walk into and instantly feel relaxed!

A few items I know and love: Article sofa, Jack chairs, hoop mirror (on mantelpiece) art from here, this sheepskin cushion is similar, source a vintage magazine rack here. Pick up a mid-century credenza here.

You can find out more about their home (and the items within) here: entryway, living room, kitchen, backyard lounge.

Oh and before I head off - there are two things I really wanted to share with you - firstly I discovered this lovely instagram feed (via Johanna Bradford - thanks for the tip!) - if you don't follow it already, you must! And secondly I was super excited to see my book The Scandinavian Home included in the Independent's top ten interior design books! That's my weekend made before it's even started! Thank you to everyone who's picked up a copy already  - you rock, and I hope it inspires you!

Have a wonderful couple of days and see you Monday!

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A small Swedish space in creams and milky whites

Well hello there. Is it just me or is this week flying by?! In case you need to put time on hold for a minute or two - stop the clock, put your feet up and take a few moments to admire this calm Swedish space! Styled by Josefine Hååg for Fantastic Frank, the apartment has been designed using a palette of cream, beige and milky whites and a hint of mustard to create a truly calm, yet elegant oasis in the heart of Stockholm. Despite sizing up at a relatively small 40 square metre (430 square feet) it has everything you could possibly need - a sitting area for a quiet read, a lovely sleep zone, and desk area, kitchen and even a little spot outside to enjoy a morning coffee - hurrah! 

Photography - Styling - Josefine Hååg for sale through Fantastic Frank

Aaaaaa, so nice! I absolutely love the colour scheme, it's so beautiful!

A few items I love: the Mantis wall lamp is such a clever choice for a small space since it can be swung over the desk area when working or the sofa when curled up with a book (I love my Mantis desk lamp!). I'm also a huge fan of the Flos ceiling light and that cute mustard knot cushion - such a lovely touch!

Is there anything that catches your eye?

Check out more small spaces here.

Have a lovely day!

PS the sun has come out just for my friend's visit - thank you Swedish weather gods! Off for a stroll along the beach..... hope the sun's shining where you are too!

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